StandardIssue

Look between your legs and add two inches. Therein lies your answer.

Wait, who is still getting 60 days VISA free entry? Didn't it return to 30 already? That was the news last month right LOL!! Didn't the 60 day visa free end? I thought it did least for US citizens and a slew of other countries. It was 30+30 extension for the longest time then went to 60+30 ext start of high season last year right? Didn't they just change it back to 30+30? ... wow the never ending merry go round of Thailand immigration policies. Just show up and take what they give you.

That being said, one has to live within the situation at hand. Thais are gonna talk about you and refer to you as a Farang. ( they do it right in front of you sometimes) If someone chooses to live in Thaland than, again, it's gonna take a lot of patience and tolerance along with making some effort to learn the culture and some of the language to have the best experience IMHO I'm not fluent and cannot read or write but I do OK in simple conversation and have made an attempt to blend in and understand to operate within the culture. Generally speaking my experience has been pretty good. I've been able to live cheap in some nice places and enjoy life in Thailand.

Perhaps I have offended. If so I apologize. In the other thread there were quite a few punters that seemed to be quite offended about being labeled "Farang". I maintain that if a person lives in a foreign country that it takes WORK to gain respect of it's citizens.. Expats are guests in Thailand but it seems many expats have bad experiences here because they are arrogant and think Thais should adjust to them when in reality they should WORK and TAKE ACTION to learn the culture, speak the language and show respect to their hosts. I have personally had a pretty good experience as an expat in Thailand. It takes tolerance and a lot of patience and understanding. Something quite a few punters on this board seem to lack. You want a good living experience in LOS? Take some time to learn the culture and language. Simple.

It's helpful to know your native language first, IMHO. What I said is I can do business like rent an apartment from a Thai person who speaks very little English. In other words friend, I can speak that much Thai. I can also have a conversation with most Thais and get to know them, their work, family, friends, travel etc. Most important. I know enough Thai to have them help me learn more. This I found to be very valuable.

I have some problems once in awhile but usually most all understand me in Bangkok.

Yea, this is evident on this board. There is a bit of a discussion going in another topic regarding the Thai's use of the word "Farang" .. I maintain that you can gain a bit of respect at least knowing the local language and practicing customs .. simple stuff like understanding how to Wai or not putting your shoes in a high place in a room. Not pointing at someone using your hand/finger. Remembering to at least say "krub" at the end of even English thank you's etc.

Yea, this was a bit difficult for me but I got used to it after awhile. Two Cats= Meaow Song Tua (classifier rough translation Tua = body) Two bags: Grabpow song bai ( bai here = piece ) Of course English doesn't have classifiers like this so it was a bit confusing at first but daily speaking to Thais helps. Shopping at 7-11 whatever.

Who, with any measure of humanity looks forward to being at anyone's funeral? Exclamation point or not this is truly sad and speaks of Trumps character at a very basic level. Horribly self centered and lacking any kind of real tact or empathy.

Are you serious? No person with an ounce of humanity "looks forward" to being at any funeral. Exclamation or not it's in such poor taste it would be comical if it wasn't actually a real statement by this poor example of a man.

I've lived in Bangkok and Pattaya on and off for the last 12 years. Most all the long term expats I've met don't know much Thai at all even before the use of Google Translate which many now rely on. I never really asked why. I decided to learn early on and tooks some classes at the local library. Question: As an expat in LOS why did you decide to not learn Thai and why? ready set go. From a curious expat

Do you speak Thai well enough to say - rent and apartment? Well I do.

Another mind reader. LOL ... whatever. Most of the punters on this board never learn Thai or the culture. Pretty sad really. Look how I got all thumbs down about my post. It's because it hits home. Years and years in Thailand and don't even learn Thai. What a joke.

Well, things have changed. I got my numbers free 10 years ago. I just tried to setup a number on one of my gmail accounts and it now it looks like it's a paid service. So I do not know what it takes.

I would think a decent VPN would circumvent this problem. Once the account is setup and you have a Google number than using it outside of the USA works great. I've used my Google numbers and made free calls back to the USA for years using Google Voice. Used it here in LOS for 12 years. Was able to call USA free since the numbers are USA numbers.

You know if you act like a "farang" than you will be called one. I've had many Thai friends over the years and one of the things I've learned is that they really respect an expat who's made an attempt to honor Thai culture. For example. How many expats or long stay foreigners take the time to: 1) Learn the language 2) Learn how to properly Wai when addressing a Thai person 3) learn to temper their voice when speaking to a Thai person or have a conflict with a Thai person. 4) Learn to not engage in Kissing or embracing a Thai woman as you would in the west when out in public. the list goes on... All my Thai friends and acquaintances call me by my first name or Khun when I am their senior. They Wai to me when seeing them. Even when out shopping I make a very concerted effort to honor Thai culture when speaking with Thai citizens.

Sh!t just got real. Very well put. Exactly on the money Walker

Yea, if you are running a janitorial service!! 🤣🤣 Any other business working around incompetance? Abso-ferking-lutely not! You do realize we are talking about leadership of the most powerful nation on the planet right? What businesses have you run where you could have incompetent managers? What ferking universe do you live in? Wow, the crazy BS here on Aseanow is stranger than fiction.

Home land security chief Kristi Noem had her purse stolen at a restaurant with her Fed ID badge, passport and keys in it. Trumps cabinet are not the brightest bulbs in the pack. Although of course he knows how to hire "the smartest people"

Ah yes, the "liar liar pants on fire" retort. How creative and articulate!

Listen, I'm not about to give personal details on this board. It is full of a lot of mixed up folks (these right-wing conspiracy loving nut jobs) along with some fairly smart and grounded people also. I will not feed the conspiracy theory believing crowd on here. You poor guys are the ones that think man didn't land on the moon, the earth is flat. Vaccines are meant to put nano bots in our blood to control our minds and the Clintons drink babies blood. There is no talking to people who believe such outrageous nonsense. I'm out. You believe what you want but to your peril.

At this point you are only exposing your ignorance. Sorry guy, nobody is impressed.

Of course he had the right, but was it smart? In the USA, if you are white man, you don't go for a late night stroll in downtown Compton and expect to be OK

Oh Wow! You have got to be kidding me. I was at one of the protests here in the USA (East Bay Oakland) and there were thousands of people there including many of my friends. The signs were not mass produced .. all the signs I saw were home made with marker and paint .. you are lost in the Trump right wing propaganda. You say you think for yourself? I pity you man. You don't think for yourself. You believe the right wing krap they are peddling online. Don't you understand that once you start viewing the right wing stuff on Facebook and Youtube they just keep feeding your timeline or news feed with the same krap to keep you viewing? I really feel sorry for you my friend. They have got you ... hook, line and sphincter.

Hmm, the marches and rallies held in virtually every city in the country every two weeks are certainly not celebrations. Your joking right? "getting <deleted> done" .. Fox news and News Max are propaganda mills .. who doesn't know that?