Is Thailand a bad idea?

[Jingjock]

3 minutes ago, masuk said:

Has anyone mentioned that working on line might be 'doing a Thai out of a job' and is therefore illegal for foreigners, unless of course, you have a work permit?

70% of Thais have never seen a computer, and many never ever seen a farang

[Jingjock]

1 minute ago, The manic said:

Doing what?

Several here I know making good money online here in Thailand

[jackdd]

5 minutes ago, masuk said:

Has anyone mentioned that working on line might be 'doing a Thai out of a job' and is therefore illegal for foreigners, unless of course, you have a work permit?

Currently the authorities don't see "working online" as working in Thailand

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, Jingjock said:

70% of Thais have never seen a computer, and many never ever seen a farang

15.5 % of facts on the internet are made up by the people stating them 

[The manic]

51 minutes ago, billybadcund said:

"I just stumbled across a thread titled "Leaving Thailand after 13 years" and it seems that Thailand may not be the paradise one would hope "

 

Is there a paradise where happiness is sustainable for 13 years ? Those guys will be telling their friends in another13 years that the UK or USA or wherever is horrible and they are looking to get out again. As mentioned many times already, wherever you go...there you are!

Ignore the naysayers on this forum. Just come here on an extended holiday.

[rumak]

11 minutes ago, Dexlowe said:

Keep up, mate. Here's a clue: Tesla. 

thanks.    mate

[Zatoichi]

"Boy Wonder" Do it. I was you almost 20yrs ago, in my mid 20's American Black, tall and not to hard to look at . But unlike you I didn't have a steady business online to lean on for income, online business wasn't really as accessible at the time. I had just 10K in my pocket and what was supposed to be a couple weeks of vacation turned into almost 20yrs. I had a hard time of it. I struggled, succeeded, struggled again, succeeded and made a great life of it. Thailand taught me alot about myself and what I want out of life, what matters, family values and much more. I'm grateful. Your experiences may not mimic mine young brother, but I can almost guarantee you'll have a great time, come give it a shot, you'll be glad you did. Shoot me a private message any time if you want a heads up about anything. And I wish you the best no matter what you decide.

[connda]

2 hours ago, moontang said:

When was thelast time you heard a Thai mention Tiger Woods?

Come to think of it, when was the last time I heard anyone of any nationality mention Tiger Woods?  ?

[geriatrickid]

 Here's a hint; Whenever my Thai friends wish to refer to a person of colour they will often use the expression "Nigeria" and it is done in a negative sense. Africans  are looked down upon and are treated very poorly. The reality is that Asians are a racist lot. Racial profiling and prejudice is endemic and an integral part of the culture. Consider the fact that skin whitening products are massive here. 

 

In Thailand dreds and tats are fine for Issan based general labour, or Bangkok nightclub singers, but in the  caste like social hierarchy, it is a sign of a low class background. 

 

However, you will probably fit in just nicely with some of the other tattooed and dredded up farangs. Thailand attracts a lower end foreign demographic quality. Successful, educated and wealthy foreigners do not pick Thailand as a  place to retire to, nor do they seek out careers here unless posted by a foreign multinational. Many will say I am wrong, but a quick look at the foreign business associations and listings will show some slim pickings. It's quite a contrast to Hong Kong or Singapore or Tokyo. Even Beijing and Shanghai have a more robust foreign expat population. All of these places have young vibrant expat communities.

 

If you have an issue  with police profiling and random searches, then Thailand will not be for you. As a black male with dreds you will proably be  constantly stopped, searched and required to give a urine sample. You may even be targeted for harassment, just for looking like you do.

[anon537687643]

If you want irrational, dangerous and frustrating Live in Thailand


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[ChiangMai101]

OP,  I think you would fit in better in South Africa;

 

- English.

- High standard of living.

- Many places to get a regular dreadlock service.

- Blend in better.

- Can easily buy fashionable clothes in sizes for big and tall.

- They idolise Americans.

 

[hitext]

OP, ignore the nay-sayers and negative threads (Thai Visa specializes in those). Just go for it, and there is a very high chance you will love it here.

 

I moved to Thailand four years ago, and you would have to drag me screaming to get me back to the Western World. I also make a decent living online, and I live like a king here on that money here. If you are open to having an adventure, Thailand is a great destination.

 

Of course, life in Thailand has its downsides, the same as anywhere else. There will be some things you love, and some things you hate. Maybe the things you hate will send you scuttling back home like the 'Leaving after 13 Years' guy. That's OK - at least you will have done something exotic and interesting for a while. But there is a very high chance that you will deal with the downsides and find that they are far outweighed by the advantages.

 

Thailand = beautiful, tropical beaches + beautiful and welcoming ladies + a low cost of living + a lot of ways to have fun + a different way of life + the chance to live in the heart of Asia where East meets West

 

The equation works for me. You will probably find it works for you, too. There's no downside for you - it's not like you have to quit your job or anything...so give it a go. You won't regret it.

 

See you on the beach (with a couple of lovely ladies on your arms)!

 

 

[connda]

1 hour ago, moontang said:

A single girl could walk in a bar there, and a dozen men would start acting like idiots to get her attention, whle she does a nice tease act.  The same woman here wouldn't even get a expat pensioner to take a swallow off his beer...that is how dramatically different the places are for female companionship.

Lol - Well said!  <laughs> 

[The manic]

43 minutes ago, Zatoichi said:

"Boy Wonder" Do it. I was you almost 20yrs ago, in my mid 20's American Black, tall and not to hard to look at . But unlike you I didn't have a steady business online to lean on for income, online business wasn't really as accessible at the time. I had just 10K in my pocket and what was supposed to be a couple weeks of vacation turned into almost 20yrs. I had a hard time of it. I struggled, succeeded, struggled again, succeeded and made a great life of it. Thailand taught me alot about myself and what I want out of life, what matters, family values and much more. I'm grateful. Your experiences may not mimic mine young brother, but I can almost guarantee you'll have a great time, come give it a shot, you'll be glad you did. Shoot me a private message any time if you want a heads up about anything. And I wish you the best no matter what you decide.

Well said.

[LawrenceN]

1 hour ago, vinegarbase said:

Based on how you described yourself, you are going to get harassed for the rest of your life by immigration if you try to live here. Better not make the mistake in advance and look into countries that actually want foreigners to live in their country. Thailand is a tourist country, come for 2 weeks, spend your money then LEAVE. That's they way they like it and why they love the Chinese tourists so much right now because that's what they do. 

This needs a bit of clarification. I think the "how you descibed yourself" that Vinegarbase refers to is the plan to stay on tourist visas indefinitely. Am I right, VB? Thai Immigration has been cracking down on long-term tourist visa abuse. Look into the alternatives, most of which have already been mentioned: elite, investment, education.

[The manic]

1 hour ago, Jingjock said:

70% of Thais have never seen a computer, and many never ever seen a farang

90% own a computer.  Its called a mobile phone.

[Harveyg]

First a thank you to most posters for the help given to this young man.  

I am an older white man from Oakland, CA and have lived here for eight years. The only thing I would add to what’s been written is that you might want to explore the country a bit but you probably would anyway. A small town in Isan is very different from anything near Bkk.  

You may want to get a sense of Thai traditional way of life, to the extent that still remains.  Personally, I lived in Nong Khai, on the banks of the Mekong River for six years and enjoyed it very much developing both Thai and western friendships.

Feel free to contact me with whatever. 

 

 

[The manic]

1 hour ago, Jingjock said:

Several here I know making good money online here in Thailand

Doing what?

[LawrenceN]

Just now, LawrenceN said:

This needs a bit of clarification. I think the "how you descibed yourself" that Vinegarbase refers to is the plan to stay on tourist visas indefinitely. Am I right, VB? Thai Immigration has been cracking down on long-term tourist visa abuse. Look into the alternatives, most of which have already been mentioned: elite, investment, education.

One more way, since you're American. Join the Peace Corps. They're still in Thailand, but the application process takes forever, and they might not offer you a post in Thailand in the end. Thinking out loud here.

[The manic]

4 hours ago, smotherb said:

I worked online in the 90's I made over $100k. I am sure it is not impossible to do so now. So, why be so negative?

Doing what?

[The manic]

3 minutes ago, LawrenceN said:

One more way, since you're American. Join the Peace Corps. They're still in Thailand, but the application process takes forever, and they might not offer you a post in Thailand in the end. Thinking out loud here.

Have nothing to do with the peace Corp or any NGOs

[connda]

1 hour ago, masuk said:

Has anyone mentioned that working on line might be 'doing a Thai out of a job' and is therefore illegal for foreigners, unless of course, you have a work permit?

That particular subject is done to death if you search Thai Visa on the topic of digital nomads.  The answer is: "It depends."  TV is a good place to start to research the issue.

[duanebigsby]

1 hour ago, Jingjock said:

I advise against it, to young, no experience in life, trouble will find you, you wont have to look for it

Isn't coming to Thailand for a few years gaining experience?

I'd suggest go for it with no preconceptions of being permanent.

[kingstonkid]

One thing that has not been mentioned is location.  I have been here 8 years and never lived in a big city.  I live outside Bangkok dear dreamworld if you look on a map.  My point is that Bangkok is a lot like any major US city.   It is expensive and busy.  If you are thinking of moving here and want to work offline which is admirable i would suggest a few things.

 

1.  Apply at a reputable Thai language school so that you can get a student visa.  The classes are usually only a couple of hours a day.

2.  Choose your location carefully.  Pattaya and Phuket are very tourist oriented.  Bangkok is tourist but also business.  

 

I would suggest PM-ing with people from Chang Mai that have been there awhile and those in other locations.

 

You say that you are laid back.  What do you like to do for fun?  That in itself will allow us to give you better advise.  

 

The people that have been here and are leaving are doing so because they have had enough of Thailand just as you have had enough of the US. 

 

Come here travel around and look at the different locations.  

Meet with some of those that have been here awhile.

[DJ54]

- is this your first trip to Asia? If so you may have a little bit of a culture shock. 

- Most can adjust others don’t and head back home it’s too much for them.

- Things that are easily done in US (I’m from US) may take longer.

- Have patience, be courteous and respect the culture.Keep your cool all of these will make the road easier. 

- Don’t boast to the point your implying your / your country is better etc.

- It’s ok to be proud of your country and respect their proud of theirs. It’s good you’ve lived in different cities so you understand places have differences.

- Be cautious when drinking or whatever. Police can stop you and if suspicious they’ll make to take a piss test. In the States marijuana is legal or misdemeanor in most states. Not here. Aake suee you are aware or the basic laws. 

- If you plan on driving get an international driver’s before you leave US. AAA costs @ $25 USD.

- every country has good and bad. All in all I think Thailand a great place to live. I live in the country and had enough of big cities most of my life. 

- I’ve not really see much if any racism. On the news you may see a bit but is mainly people that did something illegal and the way news describes race. 

- best of luck to you! keep you eyes and ears open and enjoy the experience. 

- close to other countries you can experience. You may want to ask question on visa requirements ie leaving and coming back to Thailand. Ubonjoe on forum is very informative I consider him as an expert. 

[Weasel100]

Hi there
I just picked up on this thread a short time ago and I'd like to offer my perspective if I may.
There is another specific thread about whether expats who have come to Thailand to live would leave if they could or indeed as many of them do.
I put up a comprehensive post yesterday here 

I don't say that my comments and my feelings are any better than anyone else's but I did go to some trouble to write my initial post which sets out quite clearly the many problems that I have in living in Thailand, having moved here from Australia nearly seven years ago.

The thing that have have to know is that disenchantment among expats with the way of life in Thailand is very common and that many expats choose to leave Thailand for various reasons after living here for a time, often for many years. My post from yesterday I think if you look at the above page sets out I believe many of the problems that expats have in Thailand. There are of course many who don't regret moving to Thailand and who think that people like me are just griping unreasonably. I am pleased for them that they are happy here.

For what they're worth, here are my feelings about your particular situation based on what you've said about yourself.

1  I think it would be fair to say that foreigners (falangs in Thai) are not generally all that welcome in Thailand - the Thai authorities refer to foreigners as aliens which I find offensive but then I believe that's also the case in your country, the US. While foreigners are generally unwelcome in Thailand, our money certainly is welcome

2  to live in Thailand as a young person is not easy. You would probably have to live on a tourist visa which requires your leaving the country and coming back in again through an immigration post at the border or at the airports every 15 to 30 days. Most of us who live in Thailand are here on what is known as a retirement visa which requires a certain minimum age (50) and a certain income from abroad OR money in the bank in Thailand (about $US26,000 at today's rate)

Otherwise, you would have to obtain a work permit which can also be problematic unless you're prepared to pay backhanders to people who specialize in immigration matters and who can (at your expense of course)  pay the right people the right amount of graft money and get a work permit for you. Others who have greater knowledge of this than I will probably chime in to set me straight

3  you say that you are a young black man but I notice that you also say that you don't look black.
Others have already pointed out earlier that white skin is highly prized in Thailand (except on people like me) and you just wouldn't believe the number of products and other shit that's on sale in Thailand which are claimed to lighten skin colour.
I may again be wrong but it is my impression that people who are of darker skin colour may have additional problems in Thailand due to what can only be described as a prejudice again dark skin.

Finally, for a young swarthy man, I would have to say I would NOT recommend Thailand as a potential home. You may be better off somewhere like Puerto Rico, Cuba, Costa Rica which is a popular relocation home for many US citizens or somewhere else in the Caribbean, rather than in Thailand. Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the very best of luck in finding a place that suits you better than the US with all the political problems that it has at the moment due to the moron that now occupies the White House.

 

By all means though, come to Thailand for two or three months initially to make an assessment for yourself. However, you have to understand that the Thai people you will meet and have to deal with in restaurants, bars, tourist attractions and hotels in Thailand are NOT your typical Thais. They generally present a friendly and helpful face to foreign tourists because that's their job. Living in Thailand and having to deal with ordinary non tourist industry Thais is a completely different matter. Generally speaking, as I have already said, your average Thai does not like or respect foreigners although they love our money and they have myriad ways of trying to relieve us of as much of it as possible in whatever way they can, often by deviousness, lying, swindling and cheating us.

 

So, be careful in all matters of a financial nature when dealing with Thais. In my view, based on seven years here, the great majority of Thais are not to be trusted. I have been ripped off, lied to, cheated and misled by Thais many times and it has always cost me money, sometimes significant amounts of money. Others are welcome to disagree with me based on their own experiences.
 

[Sprigger]

You won’t get a visa for long term stay at your age, you will not be allowed to work and make a living. And worst of all they are very anti black people my lady friend calls black people monkey men to their faces without batting an eyelid and no reprocussions whatsoever, Maybe Panama this place is washed up although the silly old foolish bar flies who have burnt their bridges will tell you different forget it.

Edited July 22, 2018 by Sprigger

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, connda said:

Come to think of it, when was the last time I heard anyone of any nationality mention Tiger Woods?  ?

You guys are obviously not golfers. So here's something for you to enjoy.

 

[The manic]

39 minutes ago, DJ54 said:

- is this your first trip to Asia? If so you may have a little bit of a culture shock. 

- Most can adjust others don’t and head back home it’s too much for them.

- Things that are easily done in US (I’m from US) may take longer.

- Have patience, be courteous and respect the culture.Keep your cool all of these will make the road easier. 

- Don’t boast to the point your implying your / your country is better etc.

- It’s ok to be proud of your country and respect their proud of theirs. It’s good you’ve lived in different cities so you understand places have differences.

- Be cautious when drinking or whatever. Police can stop you and if suspicious they’ll make to take a piss test. In the States marijuana is legal or misdemeanor in most states. Not here. Aake suee you are aware or the basic laws. 

- If you plan on driving get an international driver’s before you leave US. AAA costs @ $25 USD.

- every country has good and bad. All in all I think Thailand a great place to live. I live in the country and had enough of big cities most of my life. 

- I’ve not really see much if any racism. On the news you may see a bit but is mainly people that did something illegal and the way news describes race. 

- best of luck to you! keep you eyes and ears open and enjoy the experience. 

- close to other countries you can experience. You may want to ask question on visa requirements ie leaving and coming back to Thailand. Ubonjoe on forum is very informative I consider him as an expert. 

I get the impression police in the USA are more dangerous for black males.

[goegoe]

Come ! you are a lot less likely to be shot than in US !

 

And how do you like booties ? small or big ? You can find both here anyway ! Enjoy !