Khun ?

Great comparison with the exact conclusion. A silly lot they are and the only one that thinks it is cultural cute.

Village idot syndrome, the want to be something they are not crowd.

Howdy,

I been following the topic a few days, and had a thought about it. Looking at it from the Thais point of view, I too laugh at white guys acting black or hispanic. Ever see a white man walking like a black man or talking like a Mexican? Just to be cool?

I see nothing funny about the way a black man walks, or a mexican talks, unless a white man is doing it. Only thing funnier is a white woman acting black (with the head weaving back and forth). It's just funny to me, hope no one gets mad.

Chung *j*

I am sure you do enjoy MORLAM and they find it amusing.... hahaha

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?c...p;dopt=Abstract

A new village idot, they must enjoy having more than one now.

They do not want you in such state and learning the language and customs is enough and being yourself is most respected, trying to be one of them is not. He lost face most definetly trying to be something he is not.

Why do people think doing things like a thai does means not being themselves? Maybe they enjoy doing things that way?

I do. I like to Morlam. I do it much better than the thais themselves do. And they love it. I enjoy acting like one of them when I am in their village. And they love it. And I don't need to ask my wife about that. There are of course things that I do it my way and they fully understand it.

A new village idot, they must enjoy having more than one now.

They do not want you in such state and learning the language and customs is enough and being yourself is most respected, trying to be one of them is not. He lost face most definetly trying to be something he is not.

What a farce, are they not owned by the elite of Qatar. They are only free to bash other regions policy and right

up there with TRT and Thaksin run propaganda. Of course most of you find that ok.

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

In Qatar, the ruling Al Thani (الثاني) family continued to hold power following the declaration of independence in 1971. The head of state is the Emir, and the right to rule Qatar is passed on within the Al Thani family. Politically, Qatar is evolving from a traditional society into a modern welfare state. Government departments have been established to meet the requirements of social and economic progress. The Basic Law of Qatar 1970 institutionalized local customs rooted in Qatar's conservative Wahhabi heritage, granting the Emir preeminent power. The Emir's role is influenced by continuing traditions of consultation, rule by consensus, and the citizen's right to appeal personally to the Emir. The Emir, while directly accountable to no one, cannot violate the Shari’a (Islamic law) and, in practice, must consider the opinions of leading notables and the religious establishment. Their position was institutionalized in the Advisory Council, an appointed body that assists the Emir in formulating policy. There is no electoral system. Political parties are banned.

The influx of expatriate Arabs has introduced ideas that call into question the tenets of Qatar's traditional society, but there has been no serious challenge to Al Thani rule.

In February 1972, the Deputy Ruler and Prime Minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad, deposed his cousin, Emir Ahmad, and assumed power. This move was supported by the key members of Al Thani and took place without violence or signs of political unrest.

On June 27, 1995, the Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, deposed his father Emir Khalifa in a bloodless coup. Emir Hamad and his father reconciled in 1996. Increased freedom of the press followed, and the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television channel (founded late 1996) is widely regarded as the only example of free and uncensored source of news in Arab countries.

Thanks but I'll pass, seen the place for most of 20 years. Flew right over last vacation didn't even warrant a stop.

If I wasn't at work bored I would not be reading this site.

Big world and plenty to see elsewhere for a while. Lucky I am not stuck in a rut and have no choice but be stuck

with one place to go. I wish to live in freedom, not a third rate welfare provider. No place like home the saying goes.

This is probably about 75% of farangs in Thailand.

Even a similar amout of farangs retiring to Thailand are in the same boat. Small amounts of some type of income

from back home, which surely would not be enough back home but enough to get by in Thailand. They end

up taking on a T-loc and her extended family just getting by until their demise. Must be a miserable bunch to

want to leave home in such order, but then again I guess most of us have a death wish of raising someone elses

family when we get older, as long as it is not our own back home.

LOL ... They MIGHT let you come back to Thailand someday Khun?

This is probably about 75% of farangs in Thailand.

Even a similar amout of farangs retiring to Thailand are in the same boat. Small amounts of some type of income

from back home, which surely would not be enough back home but enough to get by in Thailand. They end

up taking on a T-loc and her extended family just getting by until their demise. Must be a miserable bunch to

want to leave home in such order, but then again I guess most of us have a death wish of raising someone elses

family when we get older, as long as it is not our own back home.

People have migrated to new places and countries through-out history, mostly to hopefully improve their economic conditions. The US is example of this as is what is happening in the UK and other parts of Europe with the mass migration of South Asians.

I don’t think I have ever seen an example of a group of people migrating to a country in order to have less economic success. Why someone would come to Thailand and work for 40k baht (or less) in order to just be able to live here is beyond me.

I am fortunate to have a skill in particular industry that is going though a major upswing at this time and would never go work somewhere (just to live there) for anything less the international level salary I can command. If someone (particularly a young person) has given up a career with a real future in order to work in Thailand for a fraction of their worth at home (or internationally) they are living only for the short term and have not thought about what happens when they get to be 60+.

TH

Sounds great, you done well, enjoy the drinks tonight and rest of week on top of the garage, hope you have feathers.

They will do and say anything to make all seem great.

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/48565.html

I like this heat index must be a smoker with the great UV

Humidity: 70%

Dew Point: 75 °F / 24 °C

Wind: 10 mph / 17 km/h / 4.6 m/s from the West

Pressure: 29.71 in / 1006 hPa (Steady)

Heat Index: 95 °F / 35 °C

Visibility: 6.2 miles / 10.0 kilometers

UV: 4 out of 16

Clouds: Few 2000 ft / 609 m

Mostly Cloudy 30000 ft / 9144 m

(Above Ground Level)

It is not what you lose, but don't lose, sanity for the most part.

Lucky you being in bkk, I guess in a few hours traffic will subside so you can make it to teach another class.

Sure wish I was in a metropolis of 10+ mil, it would be top of my list where to have a condo in a foreign country.

Kamala sure that isn't were they find dismembered bodies floating around from time to time

LOL ... they culled Khun? out <re the topic>

I don't teach in fact I have never worked in Thailand

But it is nice to see that a great beach village doesn't measure up to Khun?'s standards ... nor does Bangkok

Tonight will be cocktails on the rooftop of the condo .... tmw will be sunset on the beach Saturday will be a boatride with some friends and some time riding the motorcycle around the island! Sunday is the pool volleyball game! I'll think of Khun? slaving away at work whilst relaxing in a place I love <and a place I've never gotten stung/burnt badly in!>

<and no Khun? ... no dismembered bodies in Kamala .... but since you are NOT returning to Thailand and only are in here to deal with your unresolved issues over your failure to cope, and getting burnt badly .... please tell us again WHY these unresolved issues drive you back to the THAILAND webboards time and time again when you said you would never return!?>

Yeah the I love thailand crowd, cannot handle someone opening their eyes to the new Thailand.

It'll always be great for those that didn't do so well back home.

No one who can live well away from it would really be fooled or put up with it now days much less care.

Must be a hard pill to swallow living in a society that will never be anything but a third rate citizen disposable

when they choice you to be even by ones own family. Don't be worth more dead than alive more than a few K baht

for some.

This discussion doesn't seem to have anything to do with the original topic.

Don't think of me while in Thailand, I done many years there and enjoyed much of it.

Can do without it and now like to converse with the rose colored glasses crowd on how the thais really want them and they are

so needed for the poor people of thailand. Seems the ones calling the shots are not so impressed though.

They may even start requiring degrees for teachers would that be something.

It's wonderful seeing Khun squirm out of the 'how much did you get burnt for to make you so bitter' question.

:-)

I live in both Kamala and BKK too. I'll think of Khun? as I gaze at the sunset over the ocean sipping a cool drink. The only dismembered bodies I remember were the ones I swam next to on Boxing day 2004. sour grapes.

With exchange rate differences made a bit off the house and getting better each month.

A few $10K trusting one of thailands best farang investment advisors. I couldn't wait the 10+ years it would of taken to

return to break even. Better to sell off and not let their commisions continue. It was more about what they would not get than me waiting on a profit on mutual funds.

Drop in a bucket but does confirm what the foreign is about in Thailand, work for 20% of back home wages

as long as they are in Thailand.

How much is your wages compared to back home for similar work. For sure bkk apartment living must be

worth it. Think it would be great for younger people but brain dead for anyone over early 30's.

It is not what you lose, but don't lose, sanity for the most part.

Lucky you being in bkk, I guess in a few hours traffic will subside so you can make it to teach another class.

Sure wish I was in a metropolis of 10+ mil, it would be top of my list where to have a condo in a foreign country.

Kamala sure that isn't were they find dismembered bodies floating around from time to time

You could be right, been to a few beaches down there and from what I remember being mentioned about Kamala

it is the low rent district with alot of crime. Must be rain season, as for sure a person of your stature would have something better to do than be in Thailand reading message boards if you are at all there. I am just bored at work but that could be worse, like in Thailand broke with nothing better to do than read message boards trying to save some coin for a few brews

for the week.

Yep burned very bad, so bad I never sat in Thailand with nothing better to do than one liners on message boards.

Is it that boring in Kamala, cess pit of Phuket.

Yet another place you have not been I see

Again you did get something correct .... I am in Thailand ... a place you said you would never return to

Yep burned very bad, so bad I never sat in Thailand with nothing better to do than one liners on message boards.

Is it that boring in Kamala, cess pit of Phuket.

I had a house in Thailand by a golf course that cost a few mil baht, also bought my parents house by golf course back home

with weather similar to Thailand. I have been looking in Central america now at a few houses by golf course one on the 16th fairway, but as experience taught me, live somewhere first a year or two before buying. I still receive a about 80K baht a month for my house in Thailand that I sold.

Only one girl in Thailand that would interest me residing with, whom also was my caddy for several years.

Relationship was not allowed until married. In her 30's never had a boyfriend and would not go for a meal without her fathers

permission and family members acompaning us. Still think about her but not sure she could live outside of thailand in

the nomadic style I would like to do for a few years. I yearn to live in a more rural moderate climate area also, maybe land of 10,000 lakes or in the region, part time at least, been buying some toys recently.

Like you I had friends that lived in Thailand and lived as they would back home and spend like it. Also had locals that

were like family with businesses. I also have my eyes open enough that I see the local and foreign society is not what

I am looking for as I would not choose to live around ( in the same city or area) back home when I retire.

Anyways talk is cheap and seems the majority of Thailand foreigners are just such now days.

IF I wanted it to feel or be like Australia I would choose Thailand or Philippines, enough of them in both places

as far as people go. Don't like Thailand or the feel it gives of being a welfare state for desperate foreigners.

LOS

your desperation is showing

I second that. Sure there are some lower-class foreigners here but they are not in the majority.

I retired at 48 in the US. Was about to buy a home on a golf course (#1 fairway ) but decided to spend a couple of months here. I liked it so I came back and have been here 2 years.

The farang I hang with play golf, poker, etc........drive nice cars and most have nice homes or rent a decent place. They eat well and stay active. Sound like we're desperate?

Perhaps you were hanging with the wrong people.

I think you were burned big-time by a Thai lady; your posts reek of it. Am I wrong?

Panama allows no custom fee for a vehicle import every 2 years for 10 years along with at least a one time $20K

important of private belongings. ( may be a bit off on the figures) Many websites on the issue if one has interest.

The weather is like Thailand, extremely unbearble, humid and nasty stinking hot unless up by Cost Rica border mountainous area.

The fact is being in the lowest 30% of income from ones own country does not always make you the most attractive

or bode well with some countries governments. They don't wish to become a farang welfare state and they don't need you working or running a business for half than one would in their home country.

Yes have a ex-thai and child but it was my choice to divorce and not put up with the ex, we never lived in LOS together and she was employed in europe because I got her employment, which was where I lived and worked also. They live outside of Thailand, no where close to where I work and live. Took a few years to talk her into a divorce 10 years ago and we did not live together for almost 15 years. We have to share cost on daughter if she lives in thailand,

she don't, I don't.

Raised children on my own for several years before, while working in foreign countries. Neither are close to being in the bottom 30% of income earners in their home country. It took me most of 40 years before I realized that I had quite a bit of tax free money and Per Diem that more than covered my expenses so put my savings to work.

Be safe and use the old bean once in a while and it becomes easy to get ahead in life, rather than run off hot headed

every time something does not work in ones favor. I have bought my parents a place to retire plus helped my children back home with the same plus.

I would never think of giving up work if I was of low income compared to others in my own country. I have no desire to commit sucide because I can live cheap somewhere else and when that don't work out I can go back to work and start over and work into my 60's unless I hit the lottery.

IF I wanted it to feel or be like Australia I would choose Thailand or Philippines, enough of them in both places

as far as people go. Don't like Thailand or the feel it gives of being a welfare state for desperate foreigners.

LOS

Nothing nice about not being good enough to reside in a cheap developing country.

Farangs coming from countries that have pensions, social security and plenty other sick, lame or lazy ways

to produce a income and also wages 10 times the average thai, should not have a hard time meeting requirements. Who is to blame if one does. I don't care who likes Thailand or not, for each their own, no need to save face that is a thai taboo. Plenty of places to move on in life, choose another.

Hedge fund and broker I have used for many years.

Neither have been stellar but average with less risk.

One investment is domestic and international ETF's both long and short indexes, 16% average return for last 3 years.

Another has from 20 to 50 stocks much with dividend basis but also a fair amount of speculative investments

thrown in. Both are actively traded but the core has reached the maximum of 15% tax rate, over one year of holding them ( that equals a 1.5% management fee, so taxes are no worse than broker fees). Hedge fund is a good down market player and average on strong market years, contrarian style all over markets and

bonds, both international and domestic. Return since 2000 is over 300% last couple years only 15% and 8% repectively. Alot of cash and Natural resources fund 24% average for 5 year return, 3 year 35% return.

Retired from doing some of my own about a year ago.

The Zurich vista I am in is not enough to worry about. The gains since 2000 were about nil ( 0).

The firm that put me in it never provide up dates and I forgot how to get into their website to check on it.

Also brings back horrible memories how stupid someone can be to trust these people.

It is a variable annuity structure, maybe even worse which is one of the poorest investments by most professional advisors opinion.

It would be in the bottom 20% of any advisor selection that truly cared about his investors.

Your stuck the same as I. Start something else that you can sell when you want without penalty.

Just try to figure out the all the penalty clauses. good year will most likely be mediocre when coompared to a normal

mutual fund and bad years will be terrible. Fees as mentioned above can be more than taxes on gains.

The penalty for income tax evasion can result in prison plus heavy fines for sure.

To Khun? and Guesthouse.

Could either of you care to elaborate more about Zurich Vista? I have a plan with them and feel it has been performing reasonably well over the last year or so. I didn't buy this in Thailand however and I dont feel it is a scam.

Thanks

I am in Asia have been for much the last couple decades, actually since early 80's much of the time.

Still have not found that horizontal dexterior.

Equador and Uraguay was recommended by other tourist I met in asia recently.

They lived in Argentina and liked it, they did not think much of asia other than, you get what you pay for and it is alright for a few weeks.

Yes I met many in Central america that was thinking of moving to Thailand for the cheap women

and their income was quite meager to be any place other than work. Hope they do fine and like the new rules.

You only need to cope with something when no better choice is available, not the case with Thailand.

Yes work is enjoyable and coping with it when you don't need it is also fine, better to much than not enough.

I don't need Thailand to make me feel as I am in a European or Australian enclave. I spent a decade or better in

Europe already.

I have not been taking too much time from work as retirement is soon and best to get as much invested

while the markets are giving great returns with safe investments. Yes farm land in Zimbabwe I heard is cheap in any currency at present.

From people I met that lived in Panama they liked a cooler temp but liked an almost 6 figure income. Will see myself

soon but if it is weather like Thailand forget it, stinky hot ARRRGGGGHHH.

The travel and time away from work has not given me the time needed to see many places in other regions in the last few years, just short couple week trips and a 3 month trip.

Have some friends that live part time in Mexico in RV's and plan a motoring vacation soon as I retire in the next 18 months. Route 66 to a connection of Pan American highway.

Leave RV in Costa Rica once central america is completed, friend developing 250 acres that can use it for office while I spend 6 months looking around S. America.

You all should try a RV trip through Asia hahaha

It means I get plenty of request for help, nothing more, nothing less and it is not always a thai asking but the majority

is. As in central america I donate to needy families and causes and pay school tuition for some that will put it to good use. In the last 10 years specially, I spend on average over 150K baht a week during a 2 or 3 month trip. Much of it is in help to others and taking trips with thai friends and families that otherwise could not do so.

I now feel there is more and better needs for the unfortunate where I grew up and other places I will be visiting.

As the visa rules are indicating Thailand is a magnet for lower quality foreigners for good reason, the two societies mesh well. Looks as if the red carpet has been rolled up finally and a step in the right direction is being taken.

Let them spend the next 10 years cleaning out the place and maybe I will feel a return is in order.

I despise the foreigners that was given great opportunity in their home land and squandered it needlessly

and now are dominating the foreign population of thailand with hate everything from where they come because of their own failures.

I got better things to do than hear garbage about how bad it is back home from these losers.

I am glad Thailand is just to their liking and maybe the two need each other, I don't.

why does anyone need to cope with a place that they have been to for almost 20 years.

Time to try a new pair of shoes, better things to do than cheap women and booze and low income foreigners.

I do read several message boards, newspapers and classifieds from latin countries. None of them seem to have the

visa complainers that fall apart all to often in basic life situations as asia.

Yeah guess I am not the type to bragg how cheap I am or need to be. Then be the saviour of some poor populace that puts up

with my sorry arse for the money and play god to. I am still working and posting this from my place of work which I own. I also employee a couple guys with thai families who are on western wages well above average western pay. Been of average western income most of my life but did manage to help others before I done for myself many times which was not by legal obligation or I lived and benefitted from it also.

Keep up with the visa requirements and reporting your monetary worth. Enjoy the two weeks of bearable temps a year

and hope the rains permit the neighbors fields to flourish while the all mighty farang is their gold standard of living in the hood.

Must be hard knowing the commodity you are is some day not going to be good enough to keep you around.

I might be selling my tin can then if you can afford to make it to the beach or forest in The Americas somewhere.

I do not have any Jon boats but a spare tube may be available at the local tire shop if needed.

Enjoy life, be kewl and not the families needed fool.

why you confused, I am not. A person does not have to live in a place full time to know what they like and don't like.

My profile says I live there has been mentioned before, but you know what, it has been quite a while since I joined here and do not remember the question being ask so it has been that way since I joined.

Why adjust to a place that is changed from the way you liked it. When a place turns to &lt;deleted&gt; you just don't spend your money there no more. They should of cleaned up the visa situation years ago.

Does one need to put on rose colored glasses to post here. The foreign population has increased 10 fold for long stays

in the past decade and I would estimate 80% are of low to barely above poverty incomes in their home countries.

That in itself is not to appealing for most that managed to do average or better and worked on a decent retirement

plan and did not drop out to the must live cheap crowd, to anywhere that would have them on the cheap.

This same crowd the majority hate where they come from, never done anything to advance their situation before they

showed up in anothers country, then complain for being in the same situation they was before they got there but with less to no rights or opportunities, not that it would do them any good anyway.

Yes, and I have seen your type also. Condescending looks at other people and always an obvious better than thou attitude. You can keep your little aluminum jon boat and cross that lake for the three or four months of the year when it isn't frozen. Feel perfectly free to stay in your little tin can and park in the supermarket parking lots. Perhaps you come from circumstances where you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and are now running low on cash.

I'm quite happy living where it never freezes and where I don't have to keep up with my neighbors. I'm also happy that I don't have to report to anyone where I spend my money because what I have is mine. No one ever gave me anything so I'm not accountable to anyone.

You are free to live where you choose and I'll just stay here if that's alright with you.

why you confused, I am not. A person does not have to live in a place full time to know what they like and don't like.

My profile says I live there has been mentioned before, but you know what, it has been quite a while since I joined here and do not remember the question being ask so it has been that way since I joined.

Why adjust to a place that is changed from the way you liked it. When a place turns to &lt;deleted&gt; you just don't spend your money there no more. They should of cleaned up the visa situation years ago.

Does one need to put on rose colored glasses to post here. The foreign population has increased 10 fold for long stays

in the past decade and I would estimate 80% are of low to barely above poverty incomes in their home countries.

That in itself is not to appealing for most that managed to do average or better and worked on a decent retirement

plan and did not drop out to the must live cheap crowd, to anywhere that would have them on the cheap.

This same crowd the majority hate where they come from, never done anything to advance their situation before they

showed up in anothers country, then complain for being in the same situation they was before they got there but with less to no rights or opportunities, not that it would do them any good anyway.

At least with a beer bar or property you could say you got something for it instead of of these poor investments

with half truths. Not so bad getting taken on property or beer bar rather than into someone elses pocket that you never seen or something you enjoyed for a day or two.