Retired paraplegic Brit: "I am like a prisoner in my own home"

[Spike1938]

Colin, I live in pretty much the same situation. In 2006 I had a spinal operation that ultimately resulted in a lack of balance so I use a walker. My wife has developed Parkinson's so we hardly go anywhere. Not that there is that many places to go in Kamphaeng Phet province. So we usually only leave the house with our daughter to go grocery shopping.

BTW- I am 80

[TKDfella]

While I am all for a logical and Socratic Questioning stance, isn't your stance a bit obtuse? I do not know the OP,  what he has done in his life and so on but I'm giving the OP the benefit of the doubt. Since you ask a lot of questions of the OP I assume you don't know him personally either. The majority of posters here don't seem to share your sentiment, indeed quite the reverse. Perhaps the OP doesn't want anything from us except that we might appreciate the difficulties which could befall any of us at any time. 'A 70 year old man stuck in a wheelchair is in fear for his life, based on what?' Based on what...indeed doesn't the OP explain this with several examples? Have you, GOLBUGGY even been threatened by drug dealers? If you haven't then you have no idea what these people are capable of. If you have then you be more constructive and offer some advice. A healthy strong 70 year old wouldn't find it easy let alone being confined to a wheelchair.

'Maybe don't try to involve yourself so much and they will leave you alone also'. This is truly a naive statement. Once a small village becomes a target for  drug dealers and the like it's only a matter of time before everyone is affected. As for your statement about police, this is a village in Thailand, not some affluent 'upstate' district in Europe or the USA (and they too find it difficult with drug dealers...don't they? And before you suggest anything of me, yes I have had the unfortunate experience of 'drug dealer power'). 

Finally you say '...move'. Brilliant! How long did it take you to think of that? You sound just like those who offer such wisdom when expats complain about LOS.

OP, you have my sympathy and I hope things change for the better. I assume there is a village 'Headman' and if you haven't already done so, it might be worth having your Thai family talk to him. He might have a connection to the district or provincial office who are more likely than the police, to listen. Perhaps you might provide this forum with an update later.

[ScammedInThailand]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Who didn't?

Sorry to hear your village has a drug problem, I avoid rural areas and have never had a problem in Thailand.

Actually, I've never had a problem anywhere, guess I'm just lucky.

Yes you most certainly are lucky! Thailand is one of the most dangerous destinations on the planet and getting worse by the day. 

[colinneil]

10 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

While I am all for a logical and Socratic Questioning stance, isn't your stance a bit obtuse? I do not know the OP,  what he has done in his life and so on but I'm giving the OP the benefit of the doubt. Since you ask a lot of questions of the OP I assume you don't know him personally either. The majority of posters here don't seem to share your sentiment, indeed quite the reverse. Perhaps the OP doesn't want anything from us except that we might appreciate the difficulties which could befall any of us at any time. 'A 70 year old man stuck in a wheelchair is in fear for his life, based on what?' Based on what...indeed doesn't the OP explain this with several examples? Have you, GOLBUGGY even been threatened by drug dealers? If you haven't then you have no idea what these people are capable of. If you have then you be more constructive and offer some advice. A healthy strong 70 year old wouldn't find it easy let alone being confined to a wheelchair.

'Maybe don't try to involve yourself so much and they will leave you alone also'. This is truly a naive statement. Once a mall village becomes a target for  drug dealers and the like it's only a matter of time before everyone is affected. As for your statement about police, this is a village in Thailand, not some affluent 'upstate' district in Europe or the USA (and they too find it difficult with drug dealers...don't they? And before you suggest anything of me, yes I have had the unfortunate experience of 'drug dealer power'). 

Finally you say '...move'. Brilliant! How long did it take you to think of that? You sound just like those who offer such wisdom when expats complain about LOS.

OP, you have my sympathy and I hope things change for the better. I assume there is a village 'Headman' and if you haven't already done so, it might be worth having your Thai family talk to him. He might have a connection to the district or provincial office who are more likely than the police, to listen. Perhaps you might provide this forum with an update later.

 TDKfella thank you for that, i thought of responding to that+++++++ post but i passed, you said what i was thinking ,,when reading it.

I did not start this topic about the problems here for fun, i started it to make others aware of what is happening in some Thai villages, i was contacted by Thai visa and asked about it and i gave an honest account.

Regarding the PU yai bahn, waste of time, others here have spoken to him and nothing has been done, only time in the last 3 years has there been a police presence here was on sunday after the body was found.

[hashmodha]

41 minutes ago, catman20 said:

im not taking the piss but have you Colin ever thought about moving somewhere in Thailand that may make you feel a little safer ? 

Colin....Phon  is only 30 Kms??. Haven't been for a while .  Seemed chilled enough though. 

Good luck.... Sincerely!

[cardinalblue]

Why do people choose to live in the projects (low socio-economic villages) of Thailand if they don't have to?

[africasiaeuro]

I read some comments and they make me like ' wdf '. 

This is a classic case. ' did you or did you not have a problem with the villagers '.

English and other retired who came to LOS without a clue and since never learned a bit.

This guy made the biggest mistake of his life.

Vulnerable, he fell into a trap that's almost endemic.

Wanna know how many sold their property at home and got themselves entangled without possibility of return? It doesn't matter which nationality, Brits, Germans, Swiss, Italians, etc. They all have one thing in common: They suffer the same fate. Money confiscated, House, apartment gone for good ( No chance to sell ), recluse in their own property, some more pathetic than others, depending on their physical ability to 'serve' their masters. ( I am told of 1 such case who has been moved to a niche under the staircase like a dog - in his own paid house - aiheeya nee bai !!! maah guan soon tin ). Everyone around is waiting till they transcend, then clear out all there is in a minute.

Nging bai laeow .. mai mee tung.

I hear more from a close friend in a certain foreign mission who deals w such cases on a daily base. One feels sick of this widespread phenomena. Yet they keep on coming - like the flies to the sugarmountain. Never learned this say? 'No money no horny'.

 

[robblok]

13 minutes ago, africasiaeuro said:

I read some comments and they make me like ' wdf '. 

This is a classic case. ' did you or did you not have a problem with the villagers '.

English and other retired who came to LOS without a clue and since never learned a bit.

This guy made the biggest mistake of his life.

Vulnerable, he fell into a trap that's almost endemic.

Wanna know how many sold their property at home and got themselves entangled without possibility of return? It doesn't matter which nationality, Brits, Germans, Swiss, Italians, etc. They all have one thing in common: They suffer the same fate. Money confiscated, House, apartment gone for good ( No chance to sell ), recluse in their own property, some more pathetic than others, depending on their physical ability to 'serve' their masters. ( I am told of 1 such case who has been moved to a niche under the staircase like a dog - in his own paid house - aiheeya nee bai !!! maah guan soon tin ). Everyone around is waiting till they transcend, then clear out all there is in a minute.

Nging bai laeow .. mai mee tung.

I hear more from a close friend in a certain foreign mission who deals w such cases on a daily base. One feels sick of this widespread phenomena. Yet they keep on coming - like the flies to the sugarmountain. Never learned this say? 'No money no horny'.

 

What you describe surely happens, but i doubt its the majority of people. Seems an awfully negative way to look at things. Given the number of foreigners I doubt its a majority but some do let themselves fall in this trap. 

[thaisabai]

6 hours ago, colinneil said:

For your information mate, yes i came here a lot, after visiting 24 other countries found Thailand better than most of the others, and yes i came here for the ladies... You happy now.

hi Colin

perfect answer. I like it!

 

thaisabai

[SpicyMeatball]

Your a foreigner in a foreign (3rd world) country. Your not going to change this place for the better anytime soon.

If you don’t like where you are & you want to live longer, leave...

[jenny2017]

 

I flew to Thailand many times before I settled down in the lower northeast. So, Colin, we're definitely not so far away from each other and I'd come by for a visit next month if you don't mind?

 

  I lived in my wife's village for almost a year, but we also traveled a lot. There were times when I lived the same life, went out to the rice fields, doing all sorts of harvesting, but without machines. I drank Lao nit noi until the <deleted> came out of my nostrils. That was the end. 

 

  I'm in my 16th year here and I'm always happy when we come back from the village. There's nothing more for me to see, the people respect me for who and what I am and I'm part of the family clan.

 

  Honestly speaking, even when Sisaket's not a big city, but I need places where I can buy car parts, places where I can get some PC parts, and places where I have a chat with others. Even the chats with the locals become boring after some time, always the same small talk. 

 

   Another reason why we live in the city is my job. I wouldn't like to commute over a long distance daily which I did twice, just too dangerous for me, after I almost got killed by a speeding driver on my way to work in Ubon R. 

 

I fully understand why you've got the feeling to be a prisoner in your own place and I hope that times are changing. The school's closed for a few weeks next month and if it fits in your plan, I might give you a roll. 

 

 I had a good friend, same same, wheelchair. And then he had to find out that "some of his friends" took a lot of money away from him.

 

 I know about the problems you're facing and I know how difficult time can be.  I didn't plan to fall into your door, so please take your time and think about it. The only way to survive here is positive thinking, some good food and some good people around you.

 

  Enjoy life, it can be way shorter than expected. Hang in there. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kalasin Jo]

Very sad. Drugs becoming a huge problem in my village too. So far, I have been left alone, protected by my Thai family who are ultra vigilant. But who knows for how long, they re getting on in years too.

[akirasan]

Thanks for sharing your story Colin, and for drawing attention to something that most people would never consider. Indeed we all think we are bulletproof until the unthinkable happens. Be good to catch up for a beer next time I'm out that way. Your outlook is inspirational.

[TKDfella]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

 TDKfella thank you for that, i thought of responding to that+++++++ post but i passed, you said what i was thinking ,,when reading it.

I did not start this topic about the problems here for fun, i started it to make others aware of what is happening in some Thai villages, i was contacted by Thai visa and asked about it and i gave an honest account.

Regarding the PU yai bahn, waste of time, others here have spoken to him and nothing has been done, only time in the last 3 years has there been a police presence here was on sunday after the body was found.

It is sad that the odd one one here and there on the forum takes a negative uncompassionate point of view. It takes a lot of courage for someone in your position to speak out and you've done the right thing in doing so. I think most of here know what the real problem is, but as expats we can do very little.  I'm not surprised the that the Village Headman has done nothing...probably way over his head anyway. I hope you can remain positive in your harsh reality, it will be a lesson for the rest of us.

[colinneil]

19 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

 

I flew to Thailand many times before I settled down in the lower northeast. So, Colin, we're definitely not so far away from each other and I'd come by for a visit next month if you don't mind?

 

  I lived in my wife's village for almost a year, but we also traveled a lot. There were times when I lived the same life, went out to the rice fields, doing all sorts of harvesting, but without machines. I drank Lao nit noi until the <deleted> came out of my nostrils. That was the end. 

 

  I'm in my 16th year here and I'm always happy when we come back from the village. There's nothing more for me to see, the people respect me for who and what I am and I'm part of the family clan.

 

  Honestly speaking, even when Sisaket's not a big city, but I need places where I can buy car parts, places where I can get some PC parts, and places where I have a chat with others. Even the chats with the locals become boring after some time, always the same small talk. 

 

   Another reason why we live in the city is my job. I wouldn't like to commute over a long distance daily which I did twice, just too dangerous for me, after I almost got killed by a speeding driver on my way to work in Ubon R. 

 

I fully understand why you've got the feeling to be a prisoner in your own place and I hope that times are changing. The school's closed for a few weeks next month and if it fits in your plan, I might give you a roll. 

 

 I had a good friend, same same, wheelchair. And then he had to find out that "some of his friends" took a lot of money away from him.

 

 I know about the problems you're facing and I know how difficult time can be.  I didn't plan to fall into your door, so please take your time and think about it. The only way to survive here is positive thinking, some good food and some good people around you.

 

  Enjoy life, it can be way shorter than expected. Hang in there. 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome any time mate, pm me near the time

[AWillOz]

Dear dear Collin.. Isn't it obvious they are after each other, and not you? If the maffia blows up a car do we worry that we drive one too? 

[Antonymous]

Oh puleeease some of the posters on this thread, stop with the idiotic comments about rural living in Thailand.

 

I really sympathise with Colin’s predicament, both his physical condition and now his mental torture due to fears for his safety. But his problems are uniquely his and not a reflection on village life as such.

 

Nasty people, drug and alcohol addicts, psychopaths and yes even murderers, can be found in villages, towns and cities everywhere. I would argue that there’s a far greater concentration of them - and therefore a greater chance to be affected by them personally - in major conurbations than in rural villages, but that’s not my point.

 

We, all of us expats here in Thailand, have a choice about where we live, or at least SHOULD be able to choose for ourselves. I emigrated to Thailand to make it MY home, to suit MY lifestyle, not to join someone else’s family, to live someone else’s lifestyle and to feed someone else’s needs.

 

Most problems I see – all those people on TV complaining about the in-laws and relatives, the antics of neighbours and other people in the vicinity, or about the lack of facilities in your area and so on – emanate from those living in a place that is obviously unsuited to their needs and desires that was chosen FOR them by their Thai partner.

 

For goodness sake, choose your own home and live where you want. Find a Thai partner who shares your tastes.

 

Always rent and be prepared to move, at least until you are certain that you have found your niche, only then maybe contemplate buying. There's a problem in your neighbourhood? Move.

 

At different ages and stages of our lives we tend to have different needs and desires. Nobody can say that living in the country or the town is better, or that a condo is a better choice than a house, or that renting is better than buying. All may be perfectly suitable to different personalities at different times.

 

I’ve lived in six different properties around Chiang Mai over nearly 30 years. My work kept me in or close to Chiang Mai city for most of that time and it suited me fine, though I was so glad to have rented and to be able to move house easily when it suited.

 

Now we live in a house that we purchased in a traditional village in rural Chiang Mai that is (as it seems to be a measure that TV members can relate to) more than 25kms from the nearest 7-11. It is perfect, beautiful, quiet and safe. Our neighbours are lovely people. There are villages like this all over.

 

I chose this place above all other choices (I have the means to live anywhere) because it suits me perfectly. My Thai partner, who has no relatives or work interests anywhere near here, shares my tastes and she loves it here as much as I do. Point is that we did our research before moving and selected carefully. You can too.

 

Colin, this isn’t directed at you and I understand and sympathise with your limitations. It is directed at those making snide and nasty remarks about the choice of  ‘village living’.  

[Mansell]

Sorry to read about your situation Colin. My only suggestion is maybe move a bit closer to Korat. I am 13 kilo outside of the town in a gated community. Most of the residents are Thai families, many with kids. I like my neighbors, and I see no evidence of drugs at all. Of course that doesn't mean it might exist here, but everybody seems to work and be family focused, and pretty friendly. I worked for many years in many countries with disabled folks and I know it is a tough gig, though having a sense of humor like yours is an asset. But if it is about survival and not living in fear, moving may be your only option. Druggies most of the time have already lost their humanity, and consequently don't see it in others. Be careful, and God bless brother.

[jenny2017]

26 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Welcome any time mate, pm me near the time

Thanks, will do as soon as I know the dates when off. ?

[Davmaac]

9 hours ago, Pat in Pattaya said:

 

''Colin came more than 50 times to Thailand over a 21 year period''

 

Mmmm. Now I wonder why that was? All the lovely places to visit in the world (many closer to the UK) but was a serial visitor to Thailand. That said, all the best Col.

Mmmm, you dont do irony do you?probably the same reason you came to Thailand when there are so many lovely other places. 

[The Deerhunter]

4 hours ago, HooHaa said:

The rest of us? I came here as result of a job offer. 

What was her name?   555

[bannork]

3 hours ago, ScammedInThailand said:

Yes you most certainly are lucky! Thailand is one of the most dangerous destinations on the planet and getting worse by the day. 

What a load of horse manure. 

[The Deerhunter]

2 minutes ago, bannork said:

What a load of horse manure. 

Agree.  Only if you spend a lot of time on the road on a motor bike and your neighbours on both sides are drug dealers who have bad parties and nasty visitors.  Apart from that, it depends where you live and how easy you are to get on with non-falang neighbours.

[Sheryl]

7 hours ago, colinneil said:

Read your post with interest Sheryl, my biggest problem is getting my wife to agree to move.

I was born here, my family are here, you want to move because you and my family do not get on, bla bla, bla.

We could move into Banphai, it is only 3 kilometers away, but she keeps saying a like village not city.

Regarding health care, we are only 3 ks away from the hospital, so distance is not a problem.

 

3 km away from what level of hospital? If Ban Phai that is just a small community hospital, limited capacities.

 

Khon Kaen town would be a whole lot safer both in terms of crime and health care.

 

Re your wife, is she not at all spooked by the recent murder??

[jenny2017]

40 minutes ago, AWillOz said:

Dear dear Collin.. Isn't it obvious they are after each other, and not you? If the maffia blows up a car do we worry that we drive one too? 

If the Mafia blows up a car next to mine and kills my wife "accidentally", I'd be more than pissed. Next example, please. 

[Rimmer]

Some inflammatory posts and replies have been removed

[jenny2017]

4 hours ago, wildewillie89 said:

There is laws on numbers of pigs and the distance those pigs must be kept in Thailand to reduce things like poisoning occurring. I would have to double check as my memory fails me. However, if the pig owner made no efforts to control the noise or smell that came from the pig, then some people bypass making a nuisance complaint to the Tessaban and will just poison it. Best not to have pigs where houses are nearby. 

Why would they poison it if they can eat it? 

[faraday]

29 minutes ago, tweedledee2 said:

 

So you say it wasn't helpful but it was meant to be educational. If you are a victim of or witness to a crime the last thing you want is for your personal information to be known. In Colin's case, saying in print that the murderer comes from a drug family exposes him to retaliation, especially from the drug using family members he refers to. 

Perhaps you might express your view in a more empathic way?

[Madgee]

A few weeks ago I had a spinal block injection for an operation at our local hospital. Although the effects only lasted around 6 hours, I have never felt so vulnerable in my whole life. The total lack of any feeling from the chest down was something I never, ever want to experience again.

 

I will be totally and brutally honest. Before I had this operation I never had that much sympathy for you Colin because I had the impression of you as someone who used your disability as a method to gain 'friends' and as a way to gain support. Now I can fully understand your plight and the feelings (or lack of) you must go through everyday.

 

You are a very brave man Colin (much braver than I could ever be) and I apologise  profusely. I wish you and your family a peaceful outcome to your neighbourhood problems and hope they become solved in the very near future. Please continue to be a cranky old bugger! 

All the best, Madgee.

[wvavin]

It is always sad when you know a friend is in this situation.