2009

57 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

At Thai prices for beer most could probably afford to live here if they gave up drinking. They'd be better off in Angeles City if they want to drink themselves to death.

Yeah, I'd say the average guy here spends a fair few grand (dollars) a year on booze alone.

Then, the women, even more expensive ????

9 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

I guess the place is OK but not for me it get to feel a bit weird having Muslims around. 

Yeah, no interest in living in a Muslim country.

Maybe for a while it you money was good (e.g. middle east), to stay there for pleasure? Nah.

I did stay in Info for a few months with my EX, but it ain't any better than Thailand.

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Negative on some of Thailands things that are not completely true and yet you give it a broad brush and make it as completely true. Have you ever traveled outside of Pattaya and Bangkok. Apparently not.

I'd be genuinely interested to know your level of commitment to integrating into Thai society.

You seem to still be in the honeymoon phase.

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

That's a sad sight and they either have a problem or it's the only social activity they have.

Maybe they like a quiet beer.

Maybe they want to have their drink and be home mid afternoon.

Is it better to be out drinking at midnight?

43 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

I thought this was my home, lived here eons, my kids grew up here, I split from my wife here, my home here, my possessions here, everything.

 

Then in 2020 I had a long stay in the UK for unplanned reasons and realised I actually liked it, I liked having english as the first language, I liked the ease of life, and the weather was not nearly has bad as I though it was in my youth (this may be true!). I had the advantage of owning a home there so settled down again.

 

I now do about 5 months in the UK, 4 months in Greece (family) and the rest here at this time of year.

 

My favourite of them all, the UK over Greece and here 3rd!!

 

Never say never (I did and now eat my words)

 

 

Exactly

When you say Thailand isn't that great, people say things like, "Get off your barstool; try leaving Pattaya"

But really, it's the guys that have had a serious life here that are realizing it ain't all it's cracked up to be.

The guy's who are in love with Thailand are most probably just long term tourists (retirees) and never really tried to lived seriously in Thai society.

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

Go home to England with temps at -5 C, 10,000 baht monthly electricity bills, beer 200 baht a pint and apartment rents 40,000 a month. No women under 60. No thanks.

This is a good point.

You really have to be able to afford to live there.

I wouldn't do it if I didn't own my own property.

Well, there's always Thailand trips for the women and a warm up half the year.

4 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Negative on some of Thailands things that are not completely true and yet you give it a broad brush and make it as completely true. Have you ever traveled outside of Pattaya and Bangkok. Apparently not.

 

You posted:

 

"Though, it does have it's pitfalls: too hot most of the year, bad air pollution, destroyed nature, fake people, racism, bad food n drink, deadly roads, difficult government ministries to deal with (immigration, work) etc etc"

 

The nature in many areas are unspoiled, the beaches uncrowded, never seen a fake person, food is great and so are the people,the air pollution is only bad in certain locations (current PM 2.5 here in PKK is 2 at the house with blue skies birds singing etccccc.) and then no issues with the government ie. Immigration or others. YMMV, but your very misinformed.  On the other hand the US has turned into a feces hole

Firstly, these are my experiences and opinions. Yours may be different. It's impossible to draw fact from this topic; we are talking about a subjective thing.

The only factual thing I mentioned was the air quality. I just checked the air quality map.

For Thailand most places are getting a score of 100 or more (orange). Some places are even dark red and purple, lol. Whereas in my home country vast majority of places are getting a score of less than 20 (green).

These are facts. See the difference?

You also may not have read my post in detail enough to see that I lived in Isaan for a number of years, both village and city (in addition to Bangkok). And no, I haven't stayed in Pattaya.

I use a broad brush because from my experience living in and working in (various parts) of Thailand most of my adult life, this is my experience. There are few exceptions, though I have found them.

37 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

How did they lose? Anyone who bought Bitcoin and held a couple of years is up. 

Well it's down -64% over the last year.

And there are other crypto currencies that have done far worse and gone to zero.

And in the volatility, you can easily trade your way down to -99% cos it's a wild ride.

Christ, even over the last 5 years Bitcoin has only done +29% which is utterly pitiful and atrocious considering the risk involved (and nothing to be proud of).

You'd have done better with a rental property or a conservative index fund.

5 hours ago, Chivas said:

You scale in your purchases on the down trend.....Never all at once

But, we need to put it in language these folks can understand.

When your dry and crabbit 45 year old wife is laying on the bed, spread eagled, you don't jump at her like a Sweden death diver-- that's a good way to burst your bungee.

You have to ease into her, slowly.

In the industry, it's called dollar cost averaging.

18 hours ago, save the frogs said:

I didnt come here for investing advice.

I came here to paint a negative picture of the stock market.

I don't believe in investing in the stock market.

I believe it's too corrupt and/or cryptic and the average person is mostly getting screwed over.

And I am not going to engage in endless debate.

I've met stock brokers who will argue their point for decades insisting that stock market investing is great.

I don't buy it. 

 

Jingthing admirably tried to give you good advice.

But you can only bring a buffalo to water, you can't force it to drink.

12 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

I'm guessing that your choice of words, "quick service" may be the reason, perhaps that was misinterpreted? Which Immi office was this, where? When I lived in Phuket at least on Immi officer there was pretty blatant about what he wanted, he had pieces of paper in the center draw of his desk with different amounts written on them. He would never actually say anything but from time to time a slip of paper would appear with the number 500 written on it.

I wish the Teachers Council would employ this for giving out teaching licenses, haha

This is hilarious ????

Tragic, idiocy, as usual.

How is it your car? You put it in her name 

You options: Just go down the pub and have a quiet word with yourself over a few pints.

Of course, the guy is a sicko, but does the driver with his children in the back of the truck really have the right to complain at anyone??

Kids seeing the naked human body in this way. Bad, yes, I agree.

Vs.

Kids getting their brains splattered all over the road cos they were riding (illegal) in the pick-up bed while their dad made a video with his phone with driving (illegal) his car.

Well, they'd be dead.

8 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

The past few tests I've had, the doc asks a few general health questions, checks weight and blood pressure, marks and signs the right things on the right form, and that's it, without drawing blood. I heard the syphilis test itself is a joke, the type they're testing for isn't transmissible, or something like that. Just be sure you get a doc who knows what's needed for the WP.

This is my experience too, but only at the Bumrungrad Hospital.

Every other hospital wants to draw blood.

The test only looks for evidence of an infection. It does not tell about the stage of disease.

But, yes, you are right, the tertiary stage of syphilis is not contagious to others anyway.

And even if you were at the primary or secondary stage of the disease (and therefore still infectious), it transmits through sexual contact, not teaching English, ???? (or any other kind of casual contact you would be having in the workplace).

I think the reason we are not supposed to have it is due to the potential brain damage (and mental health problems) it can cause in that stage, perhaps. Who knows their logic ?????

6 hours ago, gascooker said:

How long ago was this? It’s been a requirement to have a blood test for syphilis diagnosis for some time now. Whether every office enforces that or not, that’s another question.

The requirement is that you don't have tertiary syphilis.

A blood test can't tell the stage of syphilis, but most hospitals like to do the test anyway

Some labor offices do want to see the test results from my experience.

Bangkok, over the last few years, doesn't, which is nice.

But your certificate has to include that you don't have tertiary syphilis and herein lays the problem because most hospitals want to do the test before they write that on the certificate (except Bumrungrad).

I think most hospitals are either:

1. Ignorant of the specific "tertiary" syphilis point (i.e. they don't know it's only tertiary syphilis you shouldn't have; they think you need to be negative of infection altogether)

2. Just wanting to make a buck charging you for a test anyway.

6 hours ago, gascooker said:

Some work permit offices do require evidence of a blood test specifically for syphilis. For example, Samut Prakan.

Yeah, I had that experience in Isaan for many years.

Not Bangkok thankfully.

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Actually syphilis test is not required. Only doctor certificate stating you do not have tertiary syphilis. Which can be determined without blood test. 

This is correct.

I think the only hospital in Thailand that knows this is: Bumrungrad Hospital.

Every other hospital I have been to insists on drawing blood.

2 hours ago, Purdey said:

I do not trust Muslim governments. The Taliban promised girls would continue to receive education.

 

Words on the wind.

 

If passport surnames don't match does it mean you aren't married? Some women keep their original family name.

Do you have to carry a marriage certificate always? How many carry a marriage certificate on holiday?

Yes, officials may say the law doesn't affect foreigners.

 

Just to be safe, better not visit anywhere in Indonesia where fanatics will piously report you regardless of their relationship to you and you will get caned.

Exactly.

<deleted> em.

Who do you they think they are?

You can visit a number of other countries in the world ????

15 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Never trust a muslim based government. never works out well in the end

I don't trust anything in Asia.