wamberal

       If you don't know, I doubt that anybody else could help you.  Incidentally, you are not a Thai expat.  You might be an expat living in Thailand.

       Thai expats cannot, by definition, live in Thailand.

       That's a weird title.    

  Firstly, Thailand does not exactly encourage immigration from a range of other countries, unlike the US, Canada, Australia for example.  In the countries with a diverse immigration intake, naturally there tends to be a variety of good cafes and restaurants.

 Secondly, as others have said, economic factors are a key issue.  "Foreign" food tends to be relatively more expensive (as well as being not particularly good quality).  As the standard of living rising, well off people will be interested in travelling to other countries, and eating the food in those countries, which will expand the market for foreign cafes and restaurants.

 I lived in Hong Kong for many years (as well as in Thailand), and Hong Kong people still vastly prefer their own cuisines.  Who can blame them? 

 A final observation, Thai food served in restaurants now is certainly not as good as it was 30 years ago, when labour costs were much lower.  Short-cuts are now the order of the day, unfortunately.  That is one reason that Thai food tends to be pretty awful in countries like Australia.

  Who drinks beer in pints in Bangkok? 

A rather strange poll. "Class" and "social standing" are different terms for the same phenomenon, at least in lay terms.

There are some old well established families, my understanding is that they are at the top of the pile, most, if not all, of them have Royal connexions through marriage or relationships over the years.

Thai ethnicity is overwhelmingly important, but then so is money and power. My understanding is that the social strata are now a lot more fluid now, with money allowing some upwards mobility.

But it will be a long time, if ever, that a person of Chinese ethnicity from a poor background can break into the upper echelons, no matter how rich he or she gets, or how much education they undertake.

Reminds me a bit of a court case in Hong Kong when I was living there. An expat threw an apple core away in a National Park. He was charged by a ranger. His defense was similar to that of the OP - "it is biodegradable, so it is not litter"). Actually, vegetable matter is biodegradable, so I think in that case he was harshly made a principle of by the court.

However, vegetable matter thrown on a pavement is garbage. The OP was in the wrong. If he had thrown it in a garden bed, maybe okay, but not onto a hard surface. That is just laziness, IMHO.

Things are potentially a bit stickier now, because the voting public genuinely seems to be involved, there are large numbers on either side of what seems to be an unbridgeable chasm.

In previous coups most of the population was pretty much looking on. Now a significant number seem to be actively, or potentially, involved. And I suspect that the Army knows that.

Any solution is going to leave a large number of people very, very, unhappy - unless all sides are willing to compromise.

There is a leadership vacuum now, the big question is, who or what will fill the vacuum? And will it be filled gradually, or with a big, dangerous, bang?

Students who tried to surrender were forced to lie on the ground. Several were beaten to death and then hanged. Those who attempted to escape by jumping into the Chaophraya River were shot at from naval vessels.Wimolwan, a nursing student, was shot dead while trying to swim to safety. The attack lasted for several hours. Time described the event as a "A nightmare of lynching and burning":

About a thousand demonstrators were taken prisoner and humiliated by being stripped to the waist (though females were allowed to keep their bras on), made to crawl, or kicked. Female students allegedly were raped, alive and dead, by police and Red Gaurs. Officially, there were 46 dead and 167 wounded. The unofficial estimate of over 100 dead

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

Yes, that was a terrible tragedy. But the point stands, most of the population in previous coups were not involved to the extent that they are now. I am not a historian, and stand to be corrected. My only personal experience of a coup was 1985, and that was treated as a joke by my Thai colleagues at the office, like a football match. The staff crowded around radios, those in favour of the coup at their radios, those against at others - each broadcasting the competing stations. That would not happen now, I am sure and certain.

Well,I managed to be here in '73, '76, and '91 when the military staged coups, and returned

here in '07 when the military were already in power. At no time was there any disruption of booze and nightlife.

Granted, this time may be different, but I'll wager status quo.

Things are potentially a bit stickier now, because the voting public genuinely seems to be involved, there are large numbers on either side of what seems to be an unbridgeable chasm.

In previous coups most of the population was pretty much looking on. Now a significant number seem to be actively, or potentially, involved. And I suspect that the Army knows that.

Any solution is going to leave a large number of people very, very, unhappy - unless all sides are willing to compromise.

There is a leadership vacuum now, the big question is, who or what will fill the vacuum? And will it be filled gradually, or with a big, dangerous, bang?

if your young its proberly good for you to get out but if your old like me then this bar girl dating scene is the only option one has

My mission is to find an old Thai lady that's done the job on a few foreigner and built up a next egg so we can live in relative comfort without constant ATM withdrawl.

Nothing wrong with ATMs, old chap. Would you prefer to keep your money under the mattress?

So, corruption is all the fault of politicians, is it?

That has got to be the silliest assertion of the decade.

I flew Pan Am a few times, never Delta, though.

Actually, I flew on their "round the world in 80 days" offer. First class, fully booked, RTW fares, USD1200! The thing that sticks in my mind is that they had a sit-down meal service for first class passengers in a special dining area on the upper deck. I think some of their planes had a piano up there, too.

Local Hero. A simply wonderful, understated, very clever comedy. Buy it, you can watch it over and over again. Trust me!

What's your problem? Inwards tourism is enormously important for the Thai economy, and value adding by the provision of expensive medical, dental, hospital, and other clinical services is surely good for the economy, and, by extension, the working population.

It is also clearly good in that the provision of these services allows westerners (and others) who could not otherwise afford them to access quality products and services.

In what way is this a bad, or exploitative, thing?

It used to be common practice for elderly parents to live with the family of one of their children. Nowadays, elderly parents are shunted off to be cared for by strangers.

That being the case, why does it matter which strangers are taking care of them? Yes, there are financial implications, and there might be some problems with visitation. But if people do not want to take personal care of their aging parents, that is the end of the story, I reckon.

The effects of cost inflation on a fixed income can be scary. $30,000 per annum in today's money will be worth $22,000 per annum at an inflation rate of 3% after ten years, and $16,000 per annum after twenty years.

That is without factoring in exchange rate variations.

Could be 200,000K as well

Why not 2 million? I suppose that's a possibility.

However, if the OP is making serious decisions, he needs to consider serious possibilities. The AUD/THB has been down to 14 in the not too distant past. The highest is upper 30s, from memory.

Then there is local cost inflation if the income is fixed.

AUD 2500 per month might well be THB 75000 today. But bear in mind that the AUD has been a lot lower in recent history. Again, make sure you factor the worst cases into your financial modelling. Also remember that if your income is fixed, it is being eroded every single year by the rise in the cost of living.

THB 75000 today could easily be the equivalent of THB 25000 in twenty years time, even less.

Firstly, do not burn any bridges in your home country. Do you have friends and family relationships that you will miss as time goes by? Are you willing to become a stranger in a strange land, forever? Are you expecting things in your life to change for the better, just because you are in a different environment? Face up to these issues, and answer them honestly, and allow for the fact that you will probably be disappointed. You might not be, some are, some are not.

Secondly, consider the long term effects of cost inflation and currency fluctuations, on your investment income.

Thirdly, think about what your life will be like when you are unable to look after yourself properly, that time will come for most of us.

In other words, go carefully through all the reasons why you should not relocate permanently. Consider all these points honestly and objectively. Do not expect to win life's lottery, most of us don't. Most of us have to make our own luck, it does not fall from the trees. Even mango trees!

Then, if in spite of the potential problems you still go ahead, do not buy property for five years, as others have said. (I would say, do not buy an apartment or a condominium ever, but that is just my opinion - worry about the inevitable wear and tear on communally owned buildings whose owners are not interested in paying for upkeep).

Do not fall into a relationship. Make some friends, genuine friends, if you can. You will need good friends.

Always have a Plan B. Plans C and D are worth thinking about, too.

Good luck, and take off your rose-coloured glasses. Finally, when somebody smiles at you, it can have a very different meaning (or no meaning at all) to what you are used to. In fact, it would be worth every newcomer doing a course in understanding Thai culture right from the start.

Also remember, you are in a different country. Forget about Australian ways of doing things. Do not make comparisons, there is no point.

The most difficult thing for a newbie is to learn who to trust. The best advice I could give you is - don't trust anybody. Do not even trust your girlfriend, unless and until she really proves that she is worth your trust. Even then, be vigilant for about five years!

Don't fall in love with the place, and don't get disillusioned too quickly. The truth is usually in between the extremes.

Take baby steps, especially where making financial and emotional committments are concerned.

Look after your heatlh, do not drink too much, get some exercise, try to live a structured life. And remember that all Thais smile most of the time - but a Thai smile does not always mean what you think it means. However, if a Thai does not smile, look out.

Never, ever get involved in politics or political discussions, except in the privacy of your own home. Actually, I try to avoid politics at home, my wife is as fixed in her opinions as some of the posters here. And that's saying something.

Glad to know that there is no "extra terrestrial" threat.

Apart from the other suggestions, I would recommend checking your bank balance regularly - if you notice any unexplained debits, contact your bank immediately.

Also, talk to your bank about placing a daily limit on withdrawals from your account.

I agree with the poster who suggested that it is a good idea to work for as long as you reasonably can. A male in good health at the age of 60 can expect to live into his late eighties.

Maybe it is because I grew up in a relatively poor household, but I have always had an absolute horror of not having enough money. My wife and I now have a share portfolio which earns more in dividends than we can spend every year, and that includes an occasional overseas trip at the pointy end, and a new car every few years - the latest is a Benz C250 Coupe.

We are probably at the high end of the bell curve, but frankly, I worked hard to be where we are, and I would not like to be anywhere else, in monetary terms, that is.

Make sure you have growth investments, that would be the single best piece of advice I could give anybody. Fixed interest is a hopeless long term strategy.

You might be better off looking for Pimms. However, in my humble opinion the stuff is overpriced and over-rated - I would prefer Campari, or even Dry Vermouth in a tall drink.

Somebody is wandering around the Gold Coast (in Australia - we have friends with a Thai restaurant there) claiming that he is a promoter who is going to develop a rugby league competition in Thailand.

He is either Rupert Murdoch's nephew, with huge pockets, or he is deluded, or he is a fraud.

And, according to a thread on an Australian rugby league forum, Thailand has again played the Philippines. The Thai team had players from the Bangkok Bangers, the Pattaya Panthers, Bangkok Japanese, Chiang Mai Tigers, Southerners, Royal Bangkok Sports Club, Ramkamhaeng U, Army, Navy, as well as some Australian park outfits.

Are any of the Thai teams actually rugby league clubs? Or is this just another figment of an overactive imagination? The Bangkok Bangers.