1FinickyOne

There are various reasons to marry and various types of marriage. We have a village wedding which has no paperwork or legal standing. That was 24 years ago and I guess for us it has been a loose agreement of making each other's life better - - which has changed through the years with the core principal remaining the same. My wife is from a large close knit family and I lived happily amongst them for near 20 years and this has been a pleasure.

I am sure they feel the same...

Some people retire early....

I came here in 1974 after university as a round the world backpacker... this was my favorite country. exported handcrafts from here in the 1980s... retired early in the late 90s... I never wanted to be anywhere else.

But other than that, things are ok?

what did you do to provoke that? I can't imagine. I would think a baht bus driver would hit not slap.

Are you assuming normalcy will be available in total lawlessness and chaos?

We bought 1000 tilapia fingerlings a couple of years ago - our pond is about 1 rai... the family and gardeners fish them out for dinner sometimes... we feed them in the morning... not much else goes on..

Yes, I agree, but now i don't go to the tourist areas anymore as they feel ruined, even in a five star hotel. Though occasionally the hotels are nice enough that I don't go out. For me, it is the people and the daily life amongst Thai people. It offers a different perspective from what I hear as an angry world in the west.

Yes, that is pretty true - my wife has done terrific investing in farmland... not only does the land increase in value, but the family makes a living farming it... and she is terrific at cleaning too.

huh?

Yes, agreed. I spent near 20 years living in a farming village and gained a lot from the experience.

very much agree - - I am not sure about how many of them care about tomorrow either, though my wife references "future" when she finds good land to buy.

I don't think the topic is about trying to be a local, but about what % you want to try and assimilate.

I was first here in 1974 and it was like putting on a comfortable pair of slippers...

I agree entirely with both of you - if you walk around with a smile and are pleasant, that is what comes back to you

What I have noticed is that although they watch the news, they don't discuss it with each other. They gravitate toward a fun and playful attitude towards life. Yes, they are generally much more perceptive and have a special radar that detects angry people and they try to avoid that.

or just take your money and not sell you anything... you are correct. There are good people out there but we seem to be increasingly sinking into a muck hole.

until you get out of the tourist areas...

maybe you take insults of your parents better than I do.... absolutely no reason to trash the deceased...

You have a very very wrong impression of me - - for sure. And bringing my parents into this? You know nothing of me and nothing of my parents.. do you get some sort of sick pleasure about inventing stories about my deceased parents? I have always been extremely independent and think for myself, which my parents encouraged - nobody told me stories on this subject and yet you assume some superiority because you have a teenage GF - - Wow. I am so not impressed. Do you have no idea how perverted an old man looks with a teenage girl? I never said I know it all - I just know that for me an old guy with a teenage girl is mostly disgusting.. if the shoe fits, too bad. And I have a lifetime of success because I do follow my dreams and always have... sounds like this topic is making you extremely defensive... hmmmm... but making up stories about my dead parents - how sleazy... you get some jollies out if that? That is about the lowest thing I have seen on this forum.

During

I never would have sex with a near child - for me, it is totally not sexy... I am sure they never complained to you, they just didn't come back... has that ever happened to you?

just leave a bucket near the bed if she needs to puke... is that really sexy for you?

She would only be lucky if you were generous and took great care of her family.