JimTripper

Long time. Ask Bob above also. You're not looking closely enough. Some guys are able to just ignore the nuances. It could also be the venues you go to (it won't happen as much in nicer places). It's not an outright rejection, more like a place starts acting "weird" once they feel like they know you and things take a bad turn from there. It's hard to describe.

Almost $1 a scoop. That's not really cheap.

As far as I can tell many Thai's don't want foreigners integrating. They want them as visitors and tourists who move from place to place. When foreigners dig in, some Thainess and way of doing things is lost. It becomes diluted. Especially when they have to speak english to sell something or provide service. Kind of like the Mexican's who have invaded California. It's hard to imagine you are in America in some spots now.

Nobody cares about return regular customers in Thailand (but they may care about online reviews these days). It's tourist oriented. You're replaced with the next bloke in a couple days when you move on. In fact, becoming a regular often creates suspicion and problems. It's better to choose a new venue each time and act like you are a tourist (contrary to what many newbie's believe, i.e. if I act like a long timer I'm respected more or treated better). Ditto for being asked how long you have lived here. It's better to not give the 10-20 year report. They like people on holiday here.

Definately, Thailand is congregation city. They don't like being alone. That's why they find solo expats showing up here so strange as they present as people who have no friends or family or left them behind.

You never look out your window? Not everybody wants to live in a cave.

Impressed that you are living in a shoe box 🤣

Communication becomes a problem when you are here long term. It's worrying me quite a bit because I'm not picking up the language. I'm not comfortable settling somewhere permanently without being able to talk. That's a big reason why I'm considering Mexico. I know guys who have learned spanish pretty quickly. I also think the Mexicans are more open to helping foreigners learn the language in dat to day interactions. In Thailand it feels more like a secret to be able to learn it. Like a pride thing that's only for Thai's.

Your hand comes in handy, nobody uses it like you do.

Work permit? 🤣

Ok, let me know how your therapy goes.

Privacy is a luxury here. In all of the placed I have lived here there are only a few areas in the house or condo that offer privacy with a view. Meaning, I can see a nice garden view, for example, with the curtains open without people being able to look in. Even in these areas there is usually the potential for a thai to be around outside for some reason (cleaning/maintenance/security, etc) spoiling the privacy. Another part of it is you may have a problem with thai's. It's much more annoying to have them around when you want privacy because they don't value it. Depending on where you are from, in your home country houses may be just as close, but you somehow know your neighbors know where the boundry is so you don't have a mental nag there not knowing if they will be around.

Wearing flip flops saves money on shoes.

Never trust a guy who kills chickens.

That's because your gettin' a bit older, experiencing various ailments & performance issues.

Is it a calendar year starting January 1, or a running year that starts when I enter?

Do many locals even do taxes? Many are too busy selling noodles. I can't see them sitting down and doing a bunch of math calculations to figure tax.

I'm guessing they were not wealthy or they could have checked themselves into a care resort somewhere. The Thai family thing is probably easier with money as well, or so I hear. Old age has a way of draining your finances.

I have known a couple guys who ended up having to leave back to their home countries due to getting old. At least one fell back on existing family, not sure about the other. It's something to consider. There are no social programs here to help you out. If you don't have solid relationships (which a lot of guys here don't) you're going to be on your own as you age. Medical problems, infirmities, etc limit your mobility and you will need to figure out how to survive. These creep up on you quickly and may prevent you re-establishing yourself in another location.

What you are smelling when it rains is usually sewer, not garbage. There seem to be a lot more rats around when it's wet as well. They seem to feel safer coming out when it's raining.

Well, you can do anything until you are caught. Ignoring risks is not a good life choice in my opinion.

They seem to have a lot of strange sexual festishes in Japan. Women dressed up in odd customes and such. A lot of situational type stuff like bathrooms, office roleplay, etc.

The Op may not want to wait for that to happen and may want to know all the risks involved. Who knows why they need to leave the country and a possible stay in the IDC may not be worth the risk of a short overstay.

Theoretically, can they see an overstay and show up at the registered address on the TM30? Seems possible. All it would take is for the computer to flag people living in the area.