Hypothetical Situation...

[Kimber]

5 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

These days I always choose the 'booze' option.

 

1 hour ago, Thaiwrath said:

The golden era in my home country, England, passed well before it did in Thailand.

For me, Thailand is the better option, by a country mile 

I can understand that, but for me Australia remains a better option by far than Thailand. 

 

Only the Thai women draw me back nowadays,  a reasonably quick and convenient direct flight to BKK and still a good enough exchange rate;  but I wouldn't want to rely on that as an expat. 

[JAFO]

I do not have a threshold panic value for exchange rate. I have no debt here nor the states so it really doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I can easily move back to the states with my wife or stay here. For now I'd say anything 25 and up is good and I would stay. We built our home when the baht was 36bht to $1usd. Regardless I had no plans to live on my pension alone in the states or here in Thailand.

 

I filtered through all 11 pages of this thread to pass time while I took a break from the sun in my hammock sipping an Ice cold Vodka Cranberry with a fresh lime twist. Other than a few that answered the question of the OP straight up my big take away is that there are some seriously angry/depressed posters that appear to have become quite cynical about everything Thailand. So it sounds as if those folks have been here too long, married the wrong person, moved to a bad location and long for the older days probably like they did when they first moved here and long for the older days in their home country or all of the above. As for all the nonsense about Thais not wanting expats here. Pffffft. You need to find a new circle of friends and get over yourself. They do not even pay attention.  Many westerners seem so full of themselves.

 

In the end its sad really, as where ever you go, there you are and it always boils down to what one makes of it. I know the OP has a deep unresolved issue with Thailand as he started numerous threads trying to not show his true colors but it always comes out a few posts later. 

 

 

[JLCrab]

Yes -- no matter where the threads start they always end up in the same place:

 

Why I have it better off than you.

[JAFO]

24 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Yes -- no matter where the threads start they always end up in the same place:

 

Why I have it better off than you.

Yep and the saga continues. Its like a really long running soap opera series that has been on the air far too long and the actors and actresses have aged and look bad. 

[Lacessit]

11 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Arrange to meet them in the afternoon before their shift starts.

They have more energy and you have less chance of sloppy seconds.

I would no more gamble on sex without a condom with a bar girl, than I would bet on the Poms winning an Ashes series in Australia.

[Lacessit]

On 3/23/2018 at 4:06 PM, impulse said:

 

For prices to double in the 28 years between 1990 and today, the inflation rate would have averaged 2.5% per year.

 

I suspect globalization has increased local prices in Thailand a lot faster than 2.5% as locals (and expats) are now effectively bidding against customers all over the world, as opposed to 28 years ago when a mango grown in Thailand was going to be eaten in Thailand and the only "bidders" for those mangoes were those in Thailand. 

 

Contrast that to back home where they can now buy those Thai grown mangoes at a lower price than a mango grown in, for example, California. 

 

Bottom line, the cost advantages of living in Thailand are shrinking, and I expect them to shrink even further as more and more escapees (and their money) from China drive up demand for housing and other resources.  If Fukushima gets (or even appears to get) a little worse, it could be a stampede.

 

All regardless of what the baht does.

 

Sorry, I can't agree. A car service here costs me about 1000 baht. They would charge me that much in Australia just to lift the bonnet. A single mango in Oz costs 100 baht, in season I would get 6 of them here for that price.

Admittedly other costs such as buying a new car here are more expensive than Oz. However, registration and insurance are much less expensive.

Or take rentals. Here, I rent a studio condo with swimming pool for 8500 baht a month in Chiang Mai. It would cost me more than that for a week in any Australian capital city. And forget about a swimming pool.

Motor scooters? Assuming one can cope with the wind chill in Melbourne in winter. a 125 cc scooter in Thailand costs double in Australia.

I'll do you the courtesy of thinking you are not Australian.

 

 

[ScotBkk]

On 3/22/2018 at 11:34 AM, Kimber said:

"have 3 houses today + some land plots and the business is on it's 15th year and still doing okay...."

 

The only farang in existence who OWNS land in LoS ?   

Your my Hero ...... Not !!!

[473geo]

Somehow in life I've got by on just having enough, more than enough, for years I shared between women, bar owners and fellow drinkers.

I don't drink now, am married to a wonderful Thai woman, rather refreshingly, the exchange rate carries a much limited impact these days

 

9 hours ago, JAFO said:

where ever you go, there you are and it always boils down to what one makes of it

Agree JAFO

[Henryford]

On 3/24/2018 at 11:19 AM, Thaiwrath said:

The golden era in my home country, England, passed well before it did in Thailand.

For me, Thailand is the better option, by a country mile 

The Golden era in England was about 1895, now it's just an Islamic cesspit, especially London.

[bwpage3]

On 3/24/2018 at 5:24 AM, JAFO said:

I do not have a threshold panic value for exchange rate. I have no debt here nor the states so it really doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I can easily move back to the states with my wife or stay here. For now I'd say anything 25 and up is good and I would stay. We built our home when the baht was 36bht to $1usd. Regardless I had no plans to live on my pension alone in the states or here in Thailand.

 

I filtered through all 11 pages of this thread to pass time while I took a break from the sun in my hammock sipping an Ice cold Vodka Cranberry with a fresh lime twist. Other than a few that answered the question of the OP straight up my big take away is that there are some seriously angry/depressed posters that appear to have become quite cynical about everything Thailand. So it sounds as if those folks have been here too long, married the wrong person, moved to a bad location and long for the older days probably like they did when they first moved here and long for the older days in their home country or all of the above. As for all the nonsense about Thais not wanting expats here. Pffffft. You need to find a new circle of friends and get over yourself. They do not even pay attention.  Many westerners seem so full of themselves.

 

In the end its sad really, as where ever you go, there you are and it always boils down to what one makes of it. I know the OP has a deep unresolved issue with Thailand as he started numerous threads trying to not show his true colors but it always comes out a few posts later. 

 

 

Sorry friend but I don't have any deep unresolved issues with Thailand.

 

Still own a house and rice farm in Isaan that we gave to my FIL. Never had a second thought about going back even though I could live in the high life with my future retirement, savings etc.

 

Compare a holiday in any one of the major Caribbean Islands with all the trash floating around in Thailand? No comparison. 

 

Don't need a cheap destination because can afford to go anywhere in the world. You think Thailand is the most pristine vacation spot in the world? Come one now.

 

We have a son on the way to the Uni of Florida. Had we stayed in Thailand he would have been just another dumbshit Thai grad making 15,000 baht per month. 

 

You and many others confuse OP's posting facts about their personal situations then try to be a quasi-psychiatrist and take a wild guess as to why people do what they do.

 

Facts are some people plan, some people did NOT trap themselves financially and some people can live anywhere they want to live.

 

Some people actually read TV to learn and share other experiences.

 

Some just have no quality of life, hanging out on TV trying to be quasi-psychologists and bashing anyone and any post they can.

 

I post exactly the way it is for ME, and has nothing to do with you. Don't waste so much of your time trying to be a quasi-psychologist or second guessing people's motives for posting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bwpage3]

On 3/24/2018 at 7:57 AM, Lacessit said:

Sorry, I can't agree. A car service here costs me about 1000 baht. They would charge me that much in Australia just to lift the bonnet. A single mango in Oz costs 100 baht, in season I would get 6 of them here for that price.

Admittedly other costs such as buying a new car here are more expensive than Oz. However, registration and insurance are much less expensive.

Or take rentals. Here, I rent a studio condo with swimming pool for 8500 baht a month in Chiang Mai. It would cost me more than that for a week in any Australian capital city. And forget about a swimming pool.

Motor scooters? Assuming one can cope with the wind chill in Melbourne in winter. a 125 cc scooter in Thailand costs double in Australia.

I'll do you the courtesy of thinking you are not Australian.

 

 

If you could afford it, you would not mention something so petty as the cost of a mango

 

A dragon fruit in Florida USA can be USA $4 each. (130+ thb)

 

Who cares if you can afford it.

 

People only brag about how cheap life is in Thailand because they cannot afford anything else

 

Studio condo? How old are you 20?

 

 

[MaeJoMTB]

20 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

We have a son on the way to the Uni of Florida. Had we stayed in Thailand he would have been just another dumbshit Thai grad making 15,000 baht per month. 

And you think his future working a 60hr/week in a corporate cubby to finance a landwhale that will divorce and asset strip him sounds good?

 

Most people I see living in Thailand seem a lot happier than people I know living in the UK.

Maybe it's better in the USA.

Edited March 26, 2018 by MaeJoMTB

[Thaiwrath]

15 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

If you could afford it, you would not mention something so petty as the cost of a mango

 

A dragon fruit in Florida USA can be USA $4 each. (130+ thb)

 

Who cares if you can afford it.

 

People only brag about how cheap life is in Thailand because they cannot afford anything else

 

Studio condo? How old are you 20?

 

 

People only brag about having money.........................when they don't actually have it !

[bwpage3]

1 minute ago, MaeJoMTB said:

And you think his future working a 60hr/week in a corporate cubby to finance a landwhale that will divorce and asset strip him sounds good?

He grew up in Thailand and not into land whales!

 

Many companies, such as where I work have every other Friday off, 8 hours per day

 

Have not worked a 60 hour week for years

[MaeJoMTB]

4 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

He grew up in Thailand and not into land whales!

Many companies, such as where I work have every other Friday off, 8 hours per day

Have not worked a 60 hour week for years

And in another forum, almost exclusively USA men, they complain endlessly about overwork, underpay, lack of job prospects, victimization of men in the workplace, unfairness of US divorce laws to men, and the inability to date anything other than fat women. They must be living in a different America to you.

Edited March 26, 2018 by MaeJoMTB

[bwpage3]

1 minute ago, Thaiwrath said:

People only brag about having money.........................when they don't actually have it !

You need to remember or perhaps you already know, you are not going to move to the first world and buy a house or anything else without solid financial credit, a hefty down payment (20%), proof of employment that you can afford it and being able to sustain 

 

That takes money in case you haven't figure it out

 

Just saying...

 

 

 

[bwpage3]

2 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

And in another forum, almost exclusively USA men, they complain endlessly about overwork, underpay, lack of job prospects, victimization of men in the workplace, unfairness of US divorce laws to men, and the inability to date anything other than fat women. They must be living in a different America to you.

How can you characterize US working men? Are they laborers, PhD's, what? You cannot make a general statement concerning USA Men without knowing what they are doing for work.

 

Do you have an advanced degree in engineering? Northrup Grumman just advertised here they need 300 engineers ASAP, most salaries in the US $100K+ range. Look it up for Melbourne, Florida USA.

 

Unfair divorce laws, yes I agree 100%.  I work with many divorced men whose monthly alimony and child support payments keep them on the brink of bankruptcy. Not going to find a new woman in that financial mess worth anything and yes probably fat!

 

The USA has their share of fat women no doubt. Thailand has their share of ugly women no doubt. 

 

I was at Daytona Beach Saturday. I can say with certainty, there are some babes there that are world class ahead of any lady in Thailand. The only difference is they wont go with fat old broke men.

 

America is a big place, depending on education, income, location. No 2 places are the same. I can only speak for myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MaeJoMTB]

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

How can you characterize US working men? Are they laborers, PhD's, what? You cannot make a general statement concerning USA Men without knowing what they are doing for work.

I only repeated what they nearly all say.

I can see a happy future for my son in Thailand, even as a laborer (although as a bilingual person that would be an unlikely occupation for him), my 3 sons in the UK not so much.

Edited March 26, 2018 by MaeJoMTB

[bwpage3]

1 hour ago, MaeJoMTB said:

I only repeated what they nearly all say.

I can see a happy future for my son in Thailand, even as a laborer (although as a bilingual person that would be an unlikely occupation for him), my 3 sons in the UK not so much.

None of my wife's entire family are happy being laborers that is for certain.

[JLCrab]

Thanks for your posts. I enjoy reading them. You remind of just the type of American that, by living in Thailand, I can avoid (hypothetically, that is).

[JAFO]

20 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Sorry friend but I don't have any deep unresolved issues with Thailand.

 

Still own a house and rice farm in Isaan that we gave to my FIL. Never had a second thought about going back even though I could live in the high life with my future retirement, savings etc.

 

Compare a holiday in any one of the major Caribbean Islands with all the trash floating around in Thailand? No comparison. 

 

Don't need a cheap destination because can afford to go anywhere in the world. You think Thailand is the most pristine vacation spot in the world? Come one now.

 

We have a son on the way to the Uni of Florida. Had we stayed in Thailand he would have been just another dumbshit Thai grad making 15,000 baht per month. 

 

You and many others confuse OP's posting facts about their personal situations then try to be a quasi-psychiatrist and take a wild guess as to why people do what they do.

 

Facts are some people plan, some people did NOT trap themselves financially and some people can live anywhere they want to live.

 

Some people actually read TV to learn and share other experiences.

 

Some just have no quality of life, hanging out on TV trying to be quasi-psychologists and bashing anyone and any post they can.

 

I post exactly the way it is for ME, and has nothing to do with you. Don't waste so much of your time trying to be a quasi-psychologist or second guessing people's motives for posting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am glad you have this all figured out and moving back worked and is a better place (for you). I get it! That aside you still seem to harbor some angst about living here and yet you still frequent a Thailand based website and post negatively about it looking for the audience to say "Hey man, I wish I could leave too, this place is a hell and you are lucky to have gotten out".  Are you looking for people to envy you? 

 

I still say that from your other posts you found yourself in bumfukisaan and it simply didn't work for you ( guess what, you are not alone). Come on man. You are an American. You know the basics, Location is everything and it sounds like you picked a bad spot and it didn't work out and now you moved to the states but come back on this site and bait people with silly threads.  You should move on. 

 

Just keep in mind, Not all of us are unhappy here. Not all of us decided to drop a seed and have children later in life  and have to think about their education, not all of us are living on pensions worrying about the next dollar. For many of us that planned this out, life is GREAT and we are not going to have to work until we die paying endless taxes. 

 

Being you stated you are considering other locations abroad to retire, I would highly encourage you to do your homework this time so you do not move to some other remote location in another country, join a forum, then bail out and whinge about it. You should know better by now.....At least one would hope.... 

[JAFO]

22 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Do you have an advanced degree in engineering? Northrup Grumman just advertised here they need 300 engineers ASAP, most salaries in the US $100K+ range

Sadly that is laughable. $100K is just above poverty line in most "First world" states. Clearly you know like I know you move to rural USA and there are very very few that even get close to 6 figures even with a degree so stop with your BS. You make it sound like $100K jobs are everywhere. They are not. 

 

You need to wake up and realize that not all 50 states are "First world" as you call it just like not all of Thailand is poor laboring rice pickers living in a teak stilted shack out in Isaan. I can easily list hthousands of place in the states that are down right poverty ghettos( YEP there are quite a few in Florida). Some places I visited were utterly disgusting in New Orleans, Tennessee, NY, Detroit and LA. Far worse then places here in Thailand and far less safer. 

 

You can try and BShiiit the Non US folks on this site but you wont pull that crap on me. Find a new site to whinge on.

[bwpage3]

3 hours ago, JAFO said:

I am glad you have this all figured out and moving back worked and is a better place (for you). I get it! That aside you still seem to harbor some angst about living here and yet you still frequent a Thailand based website and post negatively about it looking for the audience to say "Hey man, I wish I could leave too, this place is a hell and you are lucky to have gotten out".  Are you looking for people to envy you? 

 

I still say that from your other posts you found yourself in bumfukisaan and it simply didn't work for you ( guess what, you are not alone). Come on man. You are an American. You know the basics, Location is everything and it sounds like you picked a bad spot and it didn't work out and now you moved to the states but come back on this site and bait people with silly threads.  You should move on. 

 

Just keep in mind, Not all of us are unhappy here. Not all of us decided to drop a seed and have children later in life  and have to think about their education, not all of us are living on pensions worrying about the next dollar. For many of us that planned this out, life is GREAT and we are not going to have to work until we die paying endless taxes. 

 

Being you stated you are considering other locations abroad to retire, I would highly encourage you to do your homework this time so you do not move to some other remote location in another country, join a forum, then bail out and whinge about it. You should know better by now.....At least one would hope.... 

How in the word does a person that claims to have a lot of money end up on the other side of the world in a third world country?

 

You telling me with all that money you claim to have you couldn't be living somewhere where you can understand the language?

 

You really think that people that actually have a lot of money would choose Thailand over the other million better places around the world?

I am pretty sure you were born in the USA and planned out the next 50 years to move to Thailand? Right?

 

Pretty sure you weren't born and planned on marrying a Thai?

 

Instead of trying to second guess me, why not post exactly why would a person who claims he has a lot of money ended up in Thailand in the first place?

 

Was it the fact you cannot own land in Thailand?

 

Was it the fact only a Thai would dare marry you?

Was it a fact you love going through the VISA hurdles?

 

Come on Man up and share your secret of how you and all your self-proclaimed money ended up in Thailand in the first place?

 

Your not Thai. If you could have made it in your own country you would still be there.

 

PS People pay taxes and still have a lot of money. If you are complaining about paying taxes you probably don't have much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bwpage3]

1 hour ago, JAFO said:

Sadly that is laughable. $100K is just above poverty line in most "First world" states. Clearly you know like I know you move to rural USA and there are very very few that even get close to 6 figures even with a degree so stop with your BS. You make it sound like $100K jobs are everywhere. They are not. 

 

You need to wake up and realize that not all 50 states are "First world" as you call it just like not all of Thailand is poor laboring rice pickers living in a teak stilted shack out in Isaan. I can easily list hthousands of place in the states that are down right poverty ghettos( YEP there are quite a few in Florida). Some places I visited were utterly disgusting in New Orleans, Tennessee, NY, Detroit and LA. Far worse then places here in Thailand and far less safer. 

 

You can try and BShiiit the Non US folks on this site but you wont pull that crap on me. Find a new site to whinge on.

First learn to read.

 

I said 300 jobs in Florida, not everywhere. Stated that pretty clearly so sometimes an education comes in handy when you need to read and comprehend.

 

$100k is laughable? Living in Thailand is laughable. Not your country, only where you sought financial refuge that you could survive.

 

I am sure the 1000's of expats living on 30k thb per month would think US $100K is ok.

 

I could list millions of ghettos around the world. What's your point?

 

I can tell you are very bitter, have no education and are only fooling yourself.

 

The bad thing about forums is you can claim anything you want hiding behind  your computer.

 

Post up some photos of your Thai mansion, your 3 or 4 brand new cars and everything else so we can have some evidence to believe you.

 

No one needs excuses if they are telling the truth so photos should be no reason to make excuses

 

For someone that claims to be happy and have lots of money, how did my posts get you riled up so much that you have to take offense and write such replies? 

 

Usually happy, content people with lots of money and happy things to do have no need or time to respond to such nonsense

 

One man in the USA should not be spoiling your rich, happy existence in Thailand unless of course you are not rich or happy?

 

Let it go man, that's the life you chose.

 

I chose to go back to corporate america, taxes and Donald Trump.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2018 by bwpage3
spelling

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

...

I chose to go back to corporate america, taxes and Donald Trump.

 

 

I sure hope that you're not in SALES. 

[bwpage3]

Just now, Jingthing said:

I sure hope that you're not in SALES. 

No not sales, thanks for the concern

 

 

[JAFO]

12 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

First learn to read.

 

I said 300 jobs in Florida, not everywhere. Stated that pretty clearly so sometimes an education comes in handy when you need to read and comprehend.

 

$100k is laughable? Living in Thailand is laughable. Not your country, only where you sought financial refuge that you could survive.

 

I am sure the 1000's of expats living on 30k thb per month would think US $100K is ok.

 

I could list millions of ghettos around the world. What's your point?

 

I can tell you are very bitter, have no education and are only fooling yourself.

 

The bad thing about forums is you can claim anything you want hiding behind  your computer.

 

Post up some photos of your Thai mansion, your 3 or 4 brand new cars and everything else so we can have some evidence to believe you.

 

No one needs excuses if they are telling the truth so photos should be no reason to make excuses

 

For someone that claims to be happy and have lots of money, how did my posts get you riled up so much that you have to take offense and write such replies? 

 

Usually happy, content people with lots of money and happy things to do have no need or time to respond to such nonsense

 

One man in the USA should not be spoiling your rich, happy existence in Thailand unless of course you are not rich or happy?

 

Let it go man, that's the life you chose.

 

I chose to go back to corporate america, taxes and Donald Trump.

 

 

You are funny man, Responses below.....

 

Firstly I did not find financial refuge in Thailand albeit I am living far cheaper then I could in an a reasonable affluent area in the states. I have been here since 2005 working for 3 different US companies and if you saw the tax breaks and the expat subsidies you would probably get pissed off. BTW, Thanks for working to Pay fed,  state, local taxes...LOL

 

$100K is laughable if you live in an affluent area. I was a hiring manager in California. $100K is entry level but keep in mind that the COL eats that up and most require DINC (Double Income) to stay ahead of the game. Quit playing like some one dimensional naive guy. You are smarter than that.

 

I am not sure about the 30K baht expats. Never met any. Not sure how many even exist. Most I know are in the technical, NGO or global strategy markets making serious coin and live incredibly well however you never were in those circles so you have no idea. I understand.

 

Me bitter....HAHAHAHA. I am the easiest going guy and never bitter. I do however get fed up with knuckleheads like you who come across like they figured this all out and bail back then come back on ranting and raving about how great their home country is now versus Thailand. Look I am not Pro Thailand. It is just a place to live on the planet. It has its bad and good just like the US. I happen to like both places but prefer to call Thailand my home at this juncture. My wife and I both college grads and met professionally. I wasn't looking at Thai women. I was dating in the US on and off just nothing lured me in. 

 

As for posting pictures......Not gonna happen. I do not need to unless you want to PM me with your email and I would send a few along. I will say that I live quite comfortably on a few acres in a nice area in Northern Thailand and have alI the creature comforts I need and ZERO debt and pay no US taxes (state or fed). 

 

Your point is right as "Respond to such nonsense" You said it. You posted it. What you post is nonsense which is why I will debate this with you. You are not spoiling my existence here at all. In fact in the heat of the day it is a good way to pass some time. Right now I am enjoying the NASCAR race I downloaded with my feet up in my barkolounger chuckling. This is actually fun in a weird way. 

 

You should let it go. Why do you come on a Thai based website and blab on about the US and then get your panties all in a bundle when people do not agree with you. As I, and many have said, time to move on with your corporate America job....

[MaeJoMTB]

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

Was it the fact you cannot own land in Thailand?

Was it the fact only a Thai would dare marry you?

Not owning land is a good thing, in the west owning land ties you down and enslaves you.

Some woman will have it off you.

 

Not sure many people are rich enough to marry a white woman half their age, not that marriage matters any more.

Feminism and western divorce law has finished marriage as a sensible option for white men.

Edited March 27, 2018 by MaeJoMTB

[MaeJoMTB]

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

I am sure the 1000's of expats living on 30k thb per month would think US $100K is ok.

Yep, $100k is good money, but I wouldn't move to the USA and be an InCel to earn that.

I prefer 30kbht/month, not to work at all, have every minute of my remaining time just for me.

 

I actually live quite well on around 43kbht/month, and that's supporting my wife and 2 kids, repaying a home loan, and 2 sets of university fees.

Edited March 27, 2018 by MaeJoMTB

[Gecko123]

It doesn't make sense to me that someone who claims their new life is going so swimmingly would feel the continuous need to maliciously dispirit the very community he formerly belonged to. During the several years I have been a member of this forum I have noticed a handful of posters who have engaged in this behavior after they have returned home. While I could always understand why someone might feel the need to vent resentment towards the host country if things didn't work out according to plan (failed relationships, failed business ventures, etc.), I've long been perplexed why someone would want to show hostility and resentment towards the very community whose only sin seems to be having been similarly attracted to the same place as you. The only explanation I can come up with is that there's some anger or sense of failure behind the decision to repatriate and the expat community is being targeted because they are perceived as having succeeded where the OP failed.