Top Ten hard truths of living as an expat in Thailand

[DDBKK]

9 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

I am sorry to say this ,but after 25 years of coming here ,living here and having a business here , no one has ever claimed to be from the sas or any spy organization ,i have never been ripped off by any girl telling me she "loves" me i have only once paid a bribe to a traffic cop and that was almost 20 years ago ,and i have been ripped off on a commission owed me by an expat ,once , it is very rare that a Thai tries to get a higher "tourist" price off me and i have been happily married to a Thai woman for 20 years .

Tell me what am i doing wrong?

I think you talk the truth. 

 

The bulk talk absolute bull. 

 

Still, the truth doesn't sell dem papers boy!!! Yeee Harrrrrrr

[TKDfella]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

 

 

Rubbish, Thai people lose their temper, shout and scream and do anything they can to try and get their own way and that's just one example I saw in the Banana IT computer shop in Market Village, Hua Hin.

And another is road rage! plenty of videos seen on that score.

[BaldPlumber]

I am sorry to say this ,but after 25 years of coming here ,living here and having a business here , no one has ever claimed to be from the sas or any spy organization ,i have never been ripped off by any girl telling me she "loves" me i have only once paid a bribe to a traffic cop and that was almost 20 years ago ,and i have been ripped off on a commission owed me by an expat ,once , it is very rare that a Thai tries to get a higher "tourist" price off me and i have been happily married to a Thai woman for 20 years .

Tell me what am i doing wrong?[emoji2]

You're not trying as hard as other people.

 

Either that or they're massively exaggerating, or spend most of their life in bars taking to compete losers.

 

[johnny49r]

She said she loved me! She said she wants me forever! She said I am the only one! She is soooo sincere, how could this not be true?

Read Steven Leather's 'Private Dancer'. Your experience may vary - but not by much I'm afraid!

A simple truth that embodies the Thai culture: 'No money, no honey'.

[TPUBON]

Really like the shoe's in the queues. Good idea.

[DDBKK]

2 minutes ago, johnny49r said:

She said she loved me! She said she wants me forever! She said I am the only one! She is soooo sincere, how could this not be true?

Read Steven Leather's 'Private Dancer'. Your experience may vary - but not by much I'm afraid!

A simple truth that embodies the Thai culture: 'No money, no honey'.

Read a book to experience a fictitious experience because you aren't capable or possess the relevant skills to navigate the landscape by yourself...?

 

Please....

 

If there was ever a <deleted> cliche this and the SAS thing is it. 

 

Give it a rest for all our sake.

[Peterw42]

1 minute ago, DDBKK said:

Read a book to experience a fictitious experience because you aren't capable or possess the relevant skills to navigate the landscape by yourself...?

 

Please....

 

If there was ever a <deleted> cliche this and the SAS thing is it. 

 

Give it a rest for all our sake.

Private Dancer isnt exactly fiction, for some its a factual documentary.

[DDBKK]

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Private Dancer isnt exactly fiction, for some its a factual documentary.

What a terrible predicament 

[sanemax]

7 minutes ago, johnny49r said:

She said she loved me! She said she wants me forever! She said I am the only one! She is soooo sincere, how could this not be true?

 

Do you hear that often ?

I dont remember ever hearing that .

I do recall a few girls getting "loved up" and saying similar things , but the question that I ask usually stumps them: "What is may name"

"Chris?..................John?.....................Mark , dunno, give up, what is your name?"

[Kadilo]

2 hours ago, Rc2702 said:

Would you have a family holiday there?

To be honest yes I would. There's plenty to see and the other side is easily avoidable should you wish. 

[Paul Laycock1]

This was on Google earlier on. Nothing new.

[wvavin]

If life is that difficult for anyone to bear probably you should rethink your next destination if you cannot afford to stay in your home country. You can continue to extend the list but nothing is mentioned on the affordability you are enjoying even at your current age. Sorry for this hard truth!

Edited February 2, 2018 by wvavin

[soistalker]

You know what SoiStalker always says: "Not one satang extra!"

[Airbagwill]

A cliche-ridden article that has a few good soundbites but basically says nothing new or in a new way. - a case of the "bleedin' obvious" for the most part.

The paragraph on "driving" is of course completely misinformed, and I guess that may be  on a par with the premises for his other observations?

 

apart from a few people being able to say "I told you so" - when in actual fact all they mean is "I agree" I don't see the article brings anything new to the debate.

[CGW]

56 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Private Dancer isnt exactly fiction, for some its a factual documentary.

The truth is stranger than fiction? indeed the book was based on quite a few factual characters and true stories! wonder what happened to those people, Big Dave etc?

[300sd]

Yes most of us put up with these little "nuances" because we choose to retire or work here. But corruption that results in innocent people spending precious life in prison, does not wash with me. That corruption is a result of greed, saving face, poor judgement etc. I don't agree with any corruption but less is better.

[DDBKK]

24 minutes ago, CGW said:

The truth is stranger than fiction? indeed the book was based on quite a few factual characters and true stories! wonder what happened to those people, Big Dave etc?

Room service!!!!

 

Don't move man, be very still.

Edited February 2, 2018 by DDBKK

[digger70]

5 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

11. Beware of some expats, especially the ones who try to be your best friend, despite having just met you.

       Also, don't always believe the 'ex S.A.S., Navy Seal, Special forces' bullshit, as most who have done it, will 

        never ever mention it.  

Don't worry ,,,we Don't Mix with other Farangs,,,, Seen enough to be wary,,,

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

agree .... but there are some keyboard warrior here who achieve nothing by pounding on their keyboard day in day out just for the sake of moaning. lol

Wrong. As Wellington said, "it's only when the troops stopped complaining that he worried" or words to that effect. When people can't complain verbally is when they go postal and things go really wrong.

My wife refused to discuss her problems, became abusive, and got a divorce as a result.

Moaning is an essential way to deal with problems when they threaten to overwhelm us.

For many on here, cut off from those to whom they can moan, TVF fills that function.

 

Of course, I'm not including those that are just nasty characters, and like to abuse other posters.

There is a difference between moaning and abuse.

Edited February 2, 2018 by thaibeachlovers

[Maggusoil]

4 hours ago, gunderhill said:

If nobody ever complained about anything  the world would be a  seriously  screwed  up  place.

That's what its like in the Philippines. . . At least in Thailand they will get a gun out and kill someone and then there's a scramble to calm it all down and a few things get changed. Interesting country. 

[kurtmartens]

5 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

11. Beware of some expats, especially the ones who try to be your best friend, despite having just met you.

       Also, don't always believe the 'ex S.A.S., Navy Seal, Special forces' bullshit, as most who have done it, will 

        never ever mention it.  

The best part of that is if every person I have met who claimed to be special forces was actually special forces ... there wasn't anyone else serving in the military.  I served.  I wasn't special forces.  Not sure why folks need to claim to be something they aren't.

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

 

 

Rubbish, Thai people lose their temper, shout and scream and do anything they can to try and get their own way and that's just one example I saw in the Banana IT computer shop in Market Village, Hua Hin.

They also drive with a machete, baseball bat or gun to attack you with if you toot them when driving. Thais are, in fact, some of the most violent people in the world who will explode at the slightest provocation.

[kurtmartens]

1 hour ago, DDBKK said:

What a terrible predicament 

And that is the sad part.  

[Bangkok Barry]

It's a well-written article that perfectly describes why you should NOT live in Thailand. A pity that he ended it with the old chestnut of if you don't like there's an airport you can use - just walk away and desert your family, Thai-style.

[spidermike007]

6 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Good, well-written article that should be given to all who come here for a long stay!

 

However,

 

"The 20-something bar girl with the short skirt and fetching smile probably doesn’t love you."

 

is just plain wrong. They have told me on numerous occasions that they love me and I believe them.

 

 

 

The best one I ever heard, was "me love you tonight, me forget you tomorrow".

[jvs]

I just came back from paying the anual land/house tax,109 baht.

Try that in farang land!!!

Oh and yes i was chased by a few dogs,when you live here you accept the bad as well as the good.

Show me one country that is perfect?

[flexomike]

6 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

You must be talking about my wife, 555

 

Rubbish, Thai people lose their temper, shout and scream and do anything they can to try and get their own way and that's just one example I saw in the Banana IT computer shop in Market Village, Hua Hin.

 

[SunsetT]

5 hours ago, gunderhill said:

If nobody ever complained about anything  the world would be a  seriously  screwed  up  place.

 Yes, if nobody complains or is critical, i.e., tells u that u r doing something wrong or something is wrong then u never know that it is wrong!  This means u can never put it right and/or improve yourself or the situation. Thais rarely complain, I think, because they dont want to make the person doing something wrong 'Lose Face'. So I think this 'loss of face' element in Thai culture is seriously stunting their social, business, personal and national development. It seriously  inhibits any change and improvement. It also means that when Thais do face criticism or complaints, they often dont handle it well.

 

.

[mania]

38 minutes ago, jvs said:

I just came back from paying the anual land/house tax,109 baht.

Try that in farang land!!!

 

555 that is funny because you paid annual land/house tax yet you do not own any land nor a house 

[jvs]

1 minute ago, mania said:

555 that is funny because you paid annual land/house tax yet you do not own any land nor a house 

The house is in my name and the land in a company name,laugh as much as you like!!!555