DeathShroud

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

OMG, and he got a passport? 

 

Thats the problem, 

Looks like he's trying too hard to be edgy like he's the joker or something.

 

And then when he goes over the top he just likely says well that's just how he is? 

 

He needs to be thrown in the jail.

Red Flag signs of a Bar girl / Local Talent:
Any girl that shouts at you in the night, especially phrases like
"Hello you!, Where you come from?"
"Where you go? / optional: I go with you."
"Khun ja bai nai?"

All the places listed in BKK, Soi Cowboy, Et al. Pattaya, Ratyong, blah blah. Jomtien Beach.

Women that have had multiple foreign boyfriends / husbands / Casual Foreigner male friends.  

Sideline girls, for the most part. Depends. Some of them are less mercenary.  

When I was in America, I knew a girl that worked her way through nursing school, working as a "Cocktail Waitress" at a place in Sand Diego that was locally infamous as a hangout for sailors and marines. When she got her degree, she left that world behind her.

In Chiang Mai, all the places on Loi Krokh Road (With the notable exception of My Place Lounge), or The Massage shops within .5 Km of Loi Kroh, or shops on Kampanding Road, and most on Sridonchai Road west of Pantip Plaza.
Any girl that works in a place listed on Chiangmailocator.
Definitely any girl working in the many  "Erotic Spas" in CM. 
Fishbowls, etc. etc.  Most of the clubs have freelancers. Zoe is about 60/40, I think. I stopped going there almost a decade ago.  

I am confident in saying it takes years of experience here to figure out what is what, and a few failed relationships (unless you are very picky or very lucky) to find a woman that you can eventually trust.. to a point.  

Please note that most Thai women are just trying to help themselves to a good life. you do not have to hook up with a bar girl to lose everything.
Also, lots of Office / mall / kiosk girls are hoping for a nice quiet life with someone to take care, and not usually a foreigner, but the money is nice for them, if he has means.   Most government office workers are not taking nightly side income, but many of them are looking for someone to supplement their salary in an LTR, and surprising numbers of them are corrupt within their own domain of power, etc.

Truth is a relative thing also. very difficult to be here, and at the same time be a guy that loves 100% control, certainty, or stability.  it takes a while to learn to navigate Thai relationships, and how to hold the reins.  

Trading up is a thing. Be wary.
 

I just looked at my Wise.

Right now it looks like you can't transfer out because the baht is falling rapidly.  Very likely if they have stashes of cash in Banks here they're going to lose money if they transfer out right now.

 

You could call them and ask them.

 

For me, Wise has been pretty reliable for doing overseas transfers in... US } TH, that are applicable to my Kasikorn bank account for my monthly deposit from my U.S.  pension to support my ongoing retirement Visa.

Constant alcohol spraying, as soon as we get home she takes charge of the clothes to wash them, multiple showers per day it's okay I like feeling clean because when I was in the Navy we got one shower every 3 days because of water rationing at Sea because the fresh water was used to cool the engines.

 

And her using alcohol spray and doing all this other stuff gives her a sense of control which I understand and so since I've had both shots and she hasn't had any, I'm not going to argue with her... So I said hey let's washing hands let's do this you know in helps the relationship because she feels like I'm on board with the process.

 

And I figure I know that everywhere I go the people that I'm talking to or interacting with their phones and money so I actually think maybe I should have done this before because since covid I haven't got sick.  

 

 

16 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I didn't think Thais married to foreigners were allowed to be generals.

We're not married, but she's my wife. If we were in America, she would be my common-law wife. (Depending on the State).

 

Her family has a lot of juice in government and police, a few of them live in houses that were constructed out of teakwood, so it's not going to be a problem, I think. 

She knows people all over the country, she's been assigned everywhere.  Lots of people owe her favors.

 

I do everything I can to support her dreams, while I live a quiet Life in CM as a retired military veteran.

 

An internet dating site, 4 years ago. I thought from her uniform that she was military.   

 

Chatting, "Hello."

We chatted hours per day for 5 weeks, about our lives. Met in person when her assignment changed to CM, from the South.  Love at first sight. Together ever since. In a few years, she'll be a General.   Literally works her ass off at her office, keeps the house clean, tirelessly helps many people. Looks great in a dress, clean, healthy. Does not watch TV, reads, speaks more languages than I do. A credit to her country.

 

I get my pay from the US government into a bank in America.   I have four Thai Bank accounts.

Initially when i came here, I was set up with Bangkok Bank, a direct deposit account for SSI and other government pension.

I never used it.   For three years, I used Income verification with U.S. Consulate CM documents.  Easy peasy.
Now that U.S. Consulate has stopped that, I transfer money over to a Thai bank, via WISE.

I tried U.S. >> Wise >> Bangkok Bank. No help.  Plus they had dropped the Visa cards, using rabbit pay. Useless for buying where I need to.

For years, I liked SCB Bank.  I had a Nice debit card from them.

So I thought, U.S. Bank >> Wise >> SCB.   It ended up as interior Thailand Transfer.   I went to them, and tried to straighten it out.  
Though I had multiple San Baht in the bank, they said it was a problem "They Could not solve."  
In fact, the account guy at SCB on Nimman in CM Said, Quote, "He could not help me."   

Wow.   Drew out all of my baht that day (to their bemused consternation.)


Called Wise, in Finland and talked to some high powered people.  Friended them up on Twitter.  They directed me to their Australia Office.
Called them LD, using Skype.  After lengthy verification (Which I thought was good security), they said, "You need to use Kasikorn Bank. That is our local partner there in Chiang Mai."

Walked to Kasikorn Bank, walked in with a pile of cash, my passport, and explained to the day manager what I needed... "Overseas Funds Transfer Account for Immigration annual extension of retirement Visa. Can you do that?" 

He said, "Oh yes, we are perfect for that." He points to a woman that speaks English.  "Set this man up with an account."

Now I transfer U.S. >> Wise >> Kasikorn Bank. Zero problems.  Shown as international transfer.

Their phone app works smooth.  The only problem is sometimes, I guess for security, I have to reboot my phone.  Great.  First world problem.

in my account, No deposit amount minimum, I am going with multiple 1000 USD inbound, monthly.  I easily exceed the 65k Minimum, per month. I am happy.  

Smooth Sailing.  All I have to worry about is if the Baht rises to 20 per USD. Probably not. 

Or if the USD Crashes.  C'est la vie.   I survived a deployment to the Gulf, I can hack it.

 

 

I draw Fantasy and Science Fiction Art, and maps as a Cartographer, to support my Space Opera, and Fantasy Novel writing. 
Very slowly, a few hours a week, I study languages using CD courses.
Also a few hours a week, I play military simulation games online, Environments like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.



 

I already sit in the house, in a small northern rice town, and write on the laptop from 9 am to 4 pm.   

I did that before the Virus. Will do it after.

No change. Never bored.

My son will be born Mid May.

Hoping I have no Visa problems.

Never had a problem 4 years so far.

 

We'll see.

 

21 hours ago, Mavideol said:

I anticipate 40 baht to the USD....  wishful thinking I know, but one has to be positive 555

At that point, if US$ holds, I am bringing in 30,000 baht a month extra. 

That would be stellar.

 

We will see.

Living in the rice fields, 40 kilometers outside of Chiang Mai, I got two kids, and a third one due to be born in 6 weeks.

 

Go back to America? For what? So I can live broke? Under martial law and civil unrest and people raiding the <deleted> out of supermarkets?

 

In my little quiet Rice Town, I just wash my hands, wear my mask and go to 7 and get coffee like normal,  and then go back home to my laptop and write books.

 

 I got to renew my non-imm O Visa extension for retirement in May.

I don't think it'll be a problem.

 

 If it is then, I'll try and swing a dependent Visa based on having my daughter born here a year and months ago.

 

If that fails then I'll be a media celebrity on an extended stay at Chiang Mai airport while there's no flights.

 

Really I could give a <deleted> less what happens because I'm 54 years old and I'm a combat veteran of the Iran-Iraq war.

 

  America has been effectively destroyed economically and socially and politically.

 

I Will Survive wherever I go, until I don't, and I've already lived my full life.

 

Three kids total, this is my third marriage, ( twice to Americans) ( 1 to a college-educated, frugal, smart Thai woman). I'm not going to have a fourth marriage.

 

Today the baht exchange rate for USD went to 32 and something.

 

 I told my lady we're going to be getting 6000 Baht per month extra.

 

 it took me 5 minutes to explain to her why that was true because she doesn't understand International money exchange rates, she works with Agriculture and animal diseases.

 

 But then she immediately said "Just keep it in the bank... don't spend it! We can buy a whole bunch of rice for that!" and I agreed.

 

If the dollar goes to 0 through deflation then I'm pretty screwed.

 

 at that point all bets are off, but I don't see that happening.

 

oh, I think it's becoming obviously apparent that the u.s. leadership from the White House is sadly lacking and as May 1st arrives I'm sure there's going to be 44000 cases in America.

 

But I'm staying here in Thailand as long as I can.  

 

 

 

Been here 4 years. Retired, disabled u.s. military on an O visa. I speak okay Thai.

 Got a car, motorcycle, renting a house 40 km in the jungle/ fields away from the cities.

 

Wife is a Thai Lt. Col. She's got 15 years to retirement. 

 

We got a daughter and a son on the way, will be born in May.

 

Leaving here for America? 

Nothing there for me.

5 years ago, I was broke, living on my military pension in USA, where rent was $1500.00 a month. Cell phone was 200. Cable was 150. Etc.

 

I pay 5k TB a month here for rent.

 

Staying as long as I can in LOS.

If they eject foreigners, I will go to the Philippines.

 

I don't think America will collapse, but if they freeze banks?  I will be done for.

 

Hoping it will not come to that.

 

If it does, I will do what I have to. I got kids.

 

On 4/7/2019 at 10:50 AM, dotpoom said:

Call it whatever you like (didn't read all the post).

  I hooked up with my lady because I liked her. I retired myself when I "discovered" this wonderful country at the age of 51 and wanted to get the most out of my new life of freedom (was one year recovered from alcoholism at the time) so I decided to spend the next few years travelling the width and breath of Thailand. I certainly wasn't going to do this on my "owneo" and leave my new found love at home, working in a job that paid pittance as far as I was concerned. So I simply told her to pack in the job, pack her bags as we were heading off into the wild blue yonder. I also made it clear to her that she would not be losing any money...I will give her the same amount every month (that way she could still fulfill her obligations to her Mother etc.,.

   Best decision I ever made. I would never have stayed in Thailand alone. Am still with her. I have been here 19 yrs. now. I have a nice property, 2 cars and two motorbikes. The only reason I mention the "material" things is to point out that they are all due to her (she made it possible for me to stay here).

 Had I never met her and returned home after the first 5 years or so through loneliness or whatever....If lucky...I would be existing in a studio flat that cost the whole of my pension in rent alone and if even more lucky....would be sitting in front of a one bar electric fire...just waiting to die.

   

  

Poignant, and oh, so true. I was broke in America, with 15$ left at the end of the month, for years. 2br house in a drug infested rustbelt neighborhood, cable, phones, van, my car, her car.  

 

Here, I got a nice PC, a decent laptop, a deluxe gaming laptop, decent rented 3br home, new 2019 honda... shelves of books, Nanny, laundry service, decent restaurants out, private language lessons sabai simple life, and time...

 

Zero comparison. Much better life in LOS.

 

On 4/4/2019 at 9:18 PM, vinniekintana said:

You must be insane to pay a salary at your age 

Plenty of govt employees out there...get one of them

Job security for life and free govt healthcare for you also (if you marry one)

 

There are certainly a lot of government employees that are equivalent rank of Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel who are near 40, Masters or PhD, (albeit from Thailand, but still), that speak passable English, speak a few other languages, can cook, looking for a decent guy who wants a quiet life.

 

I am asked at least once a week, via intermediaries, do I know any Farang, jai dii, who will accept an older 30s+ Govt. Officer Thai lady.

 

After 30, a Thai lady is seen as over the hill in Thai culture, generally.

On 6/7/2019 at 10:28 AM, firemans35 said:

Many ladies in Thailand want someone to take care of them. They have family to take care of maybe even a baby. If you learn about Thai culture you will start to see the pressure Mom and Dad put on the children to send money home. Many Thai's are dirt poor. The girls go to places like Pattaya to be prostitutes while the family turn a blind eye as long as the daughter sends home money. The thing is, ladies don't want to work for it or they do the easiest thing they can. Lazy, no skills, they think they can make a lot of money and or find a rich foreigner to "Take Care of them." 

Yep.  I know a lot of westerners in CM. Pretty average to give around 10k Baht per month. Some give zero, but they cycle through a lot of girls, and are just cynical.

 

The happiest guys I know are here, are: been here for years, speak Thai, tight with money, not lost in drink, and are either

1) married, have kids, run a business with their "puying tii dii."

2) single older guy, bounces around countries, usually a vet, saw combat and anything less is not something to stress over, retirement visas here in Thailand, and in the Phillipines, maybe a regular gik girl or two, but not serious.

On 4/4/2019 at 7:26 PM, Kenny202 said:

Mate. I assume the girls you are meeting are from bars or maybe internet dating sites. The paying your girl a wage thing is not Thai culture, it is bargirl culture. ...

All of this 100%!

I have been down that road and it is a waste of ****ing time, money, and resources.

 

Not all girls on dating sites are money grubbers, but most are.

 

You have to find where you want to live and then find the girl there and you can meet someone with education that's not a bar girl, not a massage girl, not a spa girl that has a good job. They exist.

 

That being said you have to realize that this is the number one country for trading up.

 

If you hook up with someone and you are taking care of her she's always going to be looking for someone who's going to take better care of her until you have kids, because then the value of her sin sod is going to drop like a rock through the glass floor.

 

Do not look to convert a bar girl or a massage girl or a spa girl it's not going to happen.

 

There are girls on ThaiFriendly who had flat out said if you give me a salary of 50000 per month I'll do whatever you want cook and clean your house take care of you 100%.

 

It is way too much.

 

And these girls aren't making 3000 a go ... they're making more like 1500, 2000. In CM.

 

Nana girls get 1000 because the market is saturated by supply.  Buyer's market, because if you charge more than a thousand, a customer will walk to find a deal.

 

Realize that the economics that you're plotting out are roughly accurate... isaan farm girls are not making 300 baht a day.  

 

When you're working out your calculations figure 30 Baht an hour, 10 hour days, 6 days a week.

 

That's more or less the legal minimum wage Countrywide though I guess people get away with it paying less.

Figure that if she has a tie boyfriend he's going to be making unless he's high so about 9,000 per month and that's what he's going to be handing over to her in exchange for her cooking cleaning the place and living as a couple... in a little small place that's 2500 - 3000 baht per rent month rent.. low end.  It would be a small place outside of town or a tiny fan apartment with no air con, eating Rice Street Food  for 30 per meal, along with a cheap five-year-old motorcycle that breaks down and doesn't have turn signals or brake light working.

 

 now the idea is this is what girls who work at the mall are pulling down is 9000 per month.

 

It's not the idea that you can just walk up to her and say here is 9,000 baht per month...quit your job and be my girlfriend... she sees $.

 

The old saw is if you ask an old Thai woman, granny how much money should I ask for from my boyfriend per month? the correct answer is "girl, as much as you can get."

 

Think about this.

 

 Know an English teacher mid 30s that dates Thai women. Their policy.. "as soon as a girl asks for money, boot her out."

 

Another guy who is early 30s, has an older woman in her 40s, does not give her anything, just buys her food when they go out. She tells her friends how lucky, how generous he is, which is a lie, but it gives her street cred, to the other gossips on her small soi.

 

Some guys pay rent, food, give their lady some spending money...

Because if they don't, you are not "cave man providing."

If some other cave man has a bigger cave, more money, more status, speaks Thai, she will ponder and maybe partake the greener grass.

 

50,000 per month?  You can find stunners happy with less.

 

A lot of these girls string out 3, 4, 5 guys.

 

You will not know what is up if you do not speak Thai, and you live overseas.

 

You have to live with her daily, and know her schedule...

 

It is a different culture, and the girls on the take are expert players at the long con.

 

Top of this thread has the best advice... do not get sucked in by looks, promises, etc. Do not show weakness. Have a spine.  Thai guys will not put up with Borderline or Bipolar bullshit or jealous rages.

 

You can be happy here, but it takes a few years, and sometimes many mistakes to learn the culture, and see the signs.

Best advice that worked for me was find a woman with education, smart, that doesn't drink, smoke or gamble.

 

Not bar girls. Those sometimes work out... but mostly tragedy for the hapless foreigner that loses time, and piles of money.

On 6/7/2019 at 2:17 PM, inlandchris said:

There is a problem with immigration policy: required is a pension and when it refers to a pension from the U.S., it means the social security income...

Could also be U.S. VA benefits, or military retirement. 

I was recently told at CM immigration that these military pensions were much preferred over any sort of annuity, or stock dividends, etc.  Going into a Thai bank.