5 Expat Traits needed to be Successful in Thailand

[rooster59]

5 Expat Traits needed to be Successful in Thailand

By Dan Cheeseman

 

 

I have seen many expats come and go over the years. These expats could have come here to retire or work but, and this is interesting, most fail to stick it out for similar reasons. More often than not – note I said more often than not as opposed to in all instances – the reason they fail is down to themselves; it is not down to bad luck but personality flaws. We all have to be accountable to how our life pans out, after all nobody else is.

 

The reason many expats fail is, in my opinion, lack of discipline when it comes to enjoying the nightlife (more often than not) or just a complete mismanagement of their resources (This can also be defined as ‘a re-allocation of their resources to a pretty Thai girl’).

Market Shifts can – and do – rock the Status Quo

 

More recently however there have been instances of a market shift, meaning you either adapt or get on the next plane back home. Just look at what happened when the condo boom targeting Westerners and Russians in Pattaya or Phuket dried up? It immediately impacted on these local expat markets as less money was there to share in these circles of business. To be fair 6 or 7 years ago the British retiree was hit when the baht strengthened against the pound. Pretty much over night their available funds were reduced by 25% or so. That is some hit.

 

Full story: https://danaboutthailand.com/2018/05/02/5-expat-traits-needed-to-be-successful-in-thailand/

 

DAN ABOUT THAILAND

Weekly Vlogs and Blogs from in and around Thailand

[tukkytuktuk]

I disagree with the 5 traits needed to be a successful expat living in Los. Why do you have to change to "Thainess" way of living. Your a farang, not Thai. Here's my 5 tips on what can help you be a long stayer.

 

1) Never give up, this includes work, relationships and health. Keep on fighting!

2) Be yourself, don't pretend to be something you're not.

3) Think positive and don't listen to everyones advice.

4) Put up with the ups and downs of life.

5) Stop planning for tomorrow and live today,

 

 

[maxcorrigan]

3 minutes ago, tukkytuktuk said:

I disagree with the 5 traits needed to be a successful expat living in Los. Why do you have to change to "Thainess" way of living. Your a farang, not Thai. Here's my 5 tips on what can help you be a long stayer.

 

1) Never give up, this includes work, relationships and health. Keep on fighting!

2) Be yourself, don't pretend to be something you're not.

3) Think positive and don't listen to everyones advice.

4) Put up with the ups and downs of life.

5) Stop planning for tomorrow and live today,

 

 

I would definitely change No.3 to listen to advice and then consider it carefully! 

[Gecko123]

• Resilience: ability to learn from past mistakes and push through inevitable set backs and disappointments.
• Sense of humor: essential for both adjusting and successful social interaction.
• Curiosity about a new culture (including language).
• Self-objectivity: pretty important when you enter into a relationship here.
• Self-discipline: ability to manage your personal behavior and finances.
• Trust in your instincts: Sometimes you have to trust your gut here if someone is telling you something which doesn't make sense or is too good to be true.

[starky]

:Bitterness

:High Tolerance to Alcohol

:Total disdain for other falangs

:Awareness of superiority over all things Thai

:Special Forces background (the more elite or "dark" the unit the better) bonus points for working "black ops" or "wet work" into conversation. 

Edited May 6, 2018 by starky

[canuckamuck]

1. Don't drink

2. Don't drive

3. Don't have sex

4. Don't do business

5. Sleep a lot.

[colinneil]

2 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

1. Don't drink

2. Don't drive

3. Don't have sex

4. Don't do business

5. Sleep a lot.

Well mate not much hope for me, as looking at your list of 5 things,the only 1 applicable for me is i sleep a lot, the rest i dont.

[sirmud63]

in a nutshell.

[canuckamuck]

6 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Well mate not much hope for me, as looking at your list of 5 things,the only 1 applicable for me is i sleep a lot, the rest i dont.

I think you read it wrong, from what I can tell you are the master of that list. Well done. 

[colinneil]

6 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I think you read it wrong, from what I can tell you are the master of that list. Well done. 

What do you expect from a cranky old bugger who just woke up.

[lazygourmet]

Being a <deleted> like Dan!

Oh Dear George, you must have a great fun nowadays if you are still following the forum that you created... 

[marko kok prong]

Along the lines of what poster sirmud said,i quote the great Bob Marley, "your running and your running and your running away, but you can't runaway from yourself"

  Or the Finn brothers from crowded house,  "everywhere you go ,you always take the weather with you"

[jak2002003]

2 hours ago, tukkytuktuk said:

I disagree with the 5 traits needed to be a successful expat living in Los. Why do you have to change to "Thainess" way of living. Your a farang, not Thai. Here's my 5 tips on what can help you be a long stayer.

 

1) Never give up, this includes work, relationships and health. Keep on fighting!

2) Be yourself, don't pretend to be something you're not.

3) Think positive and don't listen to everyones advice.

4) Put up with the ups and downs of life.

5) Stop planning for tomorrow and live today,

 

 

But you have adapted and changed to be more Thai than farang then?

 

'Stop planning for tomorrow and live today''... That is 100 percent Thai (and Buddhist) attitude.  

 

So are your other suggestions.  Except the first one!!!

[yellowboat]

Explore Thailand's neighbors including China, especially China.  Vietnam is looking better economically everyday as well.  Do NOT put all your eggs in the Thai basket.  It has a false bottom.   Malaysia is a refreshing break from Thailand too.  KL during Chinese New Year plays amazing live music at the Chinatown sky train station during the evening rush hour.  Go to Siem Reap to get healthy or to drink and smoke to your heart's content.  There is a decent gym there that costs B400 a month. 

[Lucky mike]

There is only one person in charge of that !

[Khunangkaro]

Most important is adapt to language. 

Speak, understand, read and write. 

Then you can fulfil your needs. 

 

Communicate with family friends shops transport and officials. 

[NoshowJones]

Trait no 2. We are not guests in Thailand at all, we are treated like criminals with this 90 day reporting nonsense.

 

I have a friend who is now in his mid seventies who has been here for 25 years, is married and brought up a family.

 

He is on retirement extensions, he has bought a house and contributed well to Thailands economy. Surely he and others should have this reporting nonsense finished after 5 or 10 years.

 

Guests in this country???????

[Cranky]

Enjoy being racially discriminated against

Thrive on the risk of driving

Love thieves

Be a stray dog lover

Monger all you can

[Time Traveller]

Ater reading the very 1st paragraph which is in bold letters, it seems the writer equates "sucess" as spending eternity in Thailand, and anyone that leaves thailand - regardless of career / business / family or educational aspirations - is a "failure." 

 

Whatever... Since when did relocation to Thailand become 'till-death-do-us-part?

Dan Cheeseman sounds like just another wierdo farang whose ladyboy obession has sent him insane with jealosy. 

Edited May 6, 2018 by Time Traveller

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

Along the lines of what poster sirmud said,i quote the great Bob Marley, "your running and your running and your running away, but you can't runaway from yourself"

  Or the Finn brothers from crowded house,  "everywhere you go ,you always take the weather with you"

"i quote the great Bob Marley",  As a singer Elvis and Roy Orbison much, much better when you take the actually vocal ability into consideration. Sorry for going off topic, but I had to say something after seeing Bob Marley being quoted as being "great".

[4MyEgo]

I think the only way one can survive in Thailand or anywhere else for that matter is to:

 

1. Make sure you have enough money (budgeted monthly x 2) to last you comfortably for the remainder of your years

 

2. Have your money invested so it keeps making you money, and that doesn't mean in Thailand necessarily

 

3. Only invest 10% of your money in any relationship in Thailand

 

4. Go on holidays at least 4 times a year, have fun and spoil yourself within your budget 

 

5. Have an exit plan if things don't go according to plan

[smotherb]

8 hours ago, starky said:

:Bitterness

:High Tolerance to Alcohol

:Total disdain for other falangs

:Awareness of superiority over all things Thai

:Special Forces background (the more elite or "dark" the unit the better) bonus points for working "black ops" or "wet work" into conversation. 

I used to try working CORDS into the conversation, but very few people knew it.

[starky]

25 minutes ago, smotherb said:

I used to try working CORDS into the conversation, but very few people knew it.

Nice! Waaaay better than MACV or Phoenix, but as you say way to obscure for most.

[Sheryl]

8 hours ago, sirmud63 said:

in a nutshell.

Exactly - except:

 

Some don't learn. They just blame the new place for their unhappiness. And perhaps go somewhere else and repeat the pattern.

[Katia]

7 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

Ater reading the very 1st paragraph which is in bold letters, it seems the writer equates "sucess" as spending eternity in Thailand, and anyone that leaves thailand - regardless of career / business / family or educational aspirations - is a "failure." 

 

Whatever... Since when did relocation to Thailand become 'till-death-do-us-part?

 

I sort of wondered this, too.  There are people who leave not because they're unhappy here, but for a myriad of reasons.  We'll just assume that wasn't mentioned...

 

 

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Exactly - except:

 

Some don't learn. They just blame the new place for their unhappiness. And perhaps go somewhere else and repeat the pattern.

To be fair, it's not universally true that a new place can't make a person happier than the old one-- as long as they're not going for the wrong reasons. 

[starky]

14 hours ago, possum1931 said:

"i quote the great Bob Marley",  As a singer Elvis and Roy Orbison much, much better when you take the actually vocal ability into consideration. Sorry for going off topic, but I had to say something after seeing Bob Marley being quoted as being "great".

Maybe he is using great as in lyricist or activist or inspiration he didn't really specify the context or say bob was a great vocalist now did he? And even by conservative estimates old bob outsold roy by about 20 million albums so I guess he was "great" to somebody. 

[5633572526]

On 5/6/2018 at 9:06 AM, tukkytuktuk said:

I disagree with the 5 traits needed to be a successful expat living in Los. Why do you have to change to "Thainess" way of living. Your a farang, not Thai. Here's my 5 tips on what can help you be a long stayer.

 

1) Never give up, this includes work, relationships and health. Keep on fighting!

2) Be yourself, don't pretend to be something you're not.

3) Think positive and don't listen to everyones advice.

4) Put up with the ups and downs of life.

5) Stop planning for tomorrow and live today,

 

 

Best advice I have heard they should replace the cheeseman apologist with you.

[Lacessit]

Emotional intelligence? Why do I need that?

[EVENKEEL]

Get pissed, pull birds......did I mention get pissed???

[Puwa]

The difference between a typical blogger like Dan and a decent journalist is that a journalist would take this topic, find 10 long-term, happy, successful expats, seek their perspectives, and write something thoughtful. A blogger just opines based on his own, necessarily limited, experience and the need to produce "content."