Thailand - Not for me

[Naam]

5 hours ago, swissie said:

I would like to introduce a revolutionary new idea:

- Avoid the winter-months in Europe/Canada and spend your winters in Thailand. As soon as Thailand turns into a Finnish-Sauna, head back and enjoy a nice spring, summer and fall in Europe/Canada. Next year: Rinse and repeat!

we implemented your "revolutionary"  idea for nearly 15 years. Florida > Germany > travelling. but there comes a time when the gypsy lifestyle becomes a bother and you want to settle comfortably without looking at the calendar that says "book flights and go through a checklist with two dozen points to prepare for several months absence."

[dotpoom]

I read a little bit and then gave up as ????

  First off...it is my experience ( after 18 yrs. living here) the property prices are dropping, not going up.

  Secondly, if there is no one over 30 living near you (rather unlightly, methinks) and it was upsetting you then You should have moved ..or did you expect all them to move for you.

  Thirdly, I read many stories like this and constantly wonder why the author assumes people are interested?

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

I read many stories like this and constantly wonder why the author assumes people are interested?

11 pages in less than 24 hours? 

[Naam]

7 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

7 hours ago, Naam said:

you can easily get a Panama retirement visa irrespective of your age.

But who wants to live in Panama? Talk about third world......

right you are. we checked it out and left after 2 weeks.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

7 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

I read a little bit and then gave up as ????

  First off...it is my experience ( after 18 yrs. living here) the property prices are dropping, not going up.

  Secondly, if there is no one over 30 living near you (rather unlightly, methinks) and it was upsetting you then You should have moved ..or did you expect all them to move for you.

  Thirdly, I read many stories like this and constantly wonder why the author assumes people are interested?

 

Please, it's auteur

[LNKDES1]

19 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

P.S. Normally I never make personal comments about forum members but you are the one who turned the holodeck safety protocols off.

Classic!

[swissie]

26 minutes ago, Naam said:

we implemented your "revolutionary"  idea for nearly 15 years. Florida > Germany > travelling. but there comes a time when the gypsy lifestyle becomes a bother and you want to settle comfortably without looking at the calendar that says "book flights and go through a checklist with two dozen points to prepare for several months absence."

For god's sake Naam. You must be carrying the burden of being a major shareholder of multiple enterprises in Germany.

 

I have it easier. I just drop off the key to my house at my neighbor. Not forgetting to mention that I expect everything to be "untouched" upon my return. Him knowing, that I have excellent connections to the Thai-Mafia operating in Europe.

Very unburocratic really. 555

[tassieman]

18 minutes ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

Please, it's auteur

threads like this are extremely "helpful" IMO...good to hear stories from both sides of the fence on the Thailand experience (and even from those sitting on the fence...a bit like moi!). In fact, close reading of especially pertinent TVF threads should be mandatory for newbie/wannabe expats + a written exam...maybe reduce the number of Pattaya balcony flyers and some of the other tragic farang finales to life in the LoS?

 

So much wonderful collected wisdom I have gleaned from these threads and which have helped. Three of my favourites: [or versions of...]

1. Don't let the little head do the thinking for you 

2. Don't be worth more dead than alive to your Thai wife/family

3. Why DO you think she puts up with your drinking? Keep 'em drunk 'n' dumb...easier to manipulate that way lol

cheers, TM

[bwpage3]

21 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

You mean whinge and complain? For what purpose? Why do folks whinge and complain about Thailand anyway? Nobody forces folks to go there or live there.....

 

I like Toronto, lived there off and on ....like Thailand it has its pros and cons..

 

1. The weather blows

2. The traffic sucks.

3. Its politically like San Francisco, but I dont think Canadian folks poop on the streets, do they?

4. The Maple Leafs are shee it.

5. The Canadian Ballet was wonderful, but no take out.

 

 

Seriously, like the traffic in in Bangkok and the the monsoon rains/floods don't suck?

[bwpage3]

21 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand is not for everyone. I do agree that by living here, we are giving up some things. For me, the culture part of the equation is a sacrifice. I would love to be able to have access to great live jazz, stand up comedy, the ballet, art museums, and other such luxuries. I definitely do not have them here, with the exception of MOMA in Bangkok, which is outstanding, but there are only so many times I can visit! 

 

However, some of us enjoy a very good life here. On my relatively modest income and savings, I live a whole lot better here, than I would in the US. I like most of the people here, and find most to be far more pleasant, light hearted, fun, helpful, and kind, than the average American I run into back there. I also like the food here, though I miss the sheer variety back there, and the ease of travel within the region. There are alot of other aspects of life here I enjoy. Granted, I have a wonderful wife, who is delightful to be around on a daily basis, and that is after many years of being together. Granted, we could live in the US. But we would both be bored to tears there, very quickly. As I said, Thailand it is not for everyone. You have to be able to overlook alot of nonsense here. And you have to be light hearted, and not take things too seriously. And be very adaptable. 

 

Though I do enjoy the cleanliness back in the states, much of the rest of the lifestyle leaves me cold. Just take the malls for example. Here, the malls are downright entertaining. I can spend hours at Siam, or Central in Bangkok, and just admire the gorgeous gals, the selection of foods, and the vibrant life within them. In the US the malls are dull, fabulously uninteresting, lifeless, devoid of flavor, sterile, and have horrendous food, overpriced cinemas, and alot of really unattractive people. Not much bird watching!

 

The sheer predictability of every day life back there is mind numbing for me. And the cost of living is staggering, these days. Whoever says inflation is low in the US, is lying through their teeth!  

 

I hope and I pray I never have to live in the US again. In my opinion the quality of life is dropping by the day. I love it here and hope to spend my dying days here. 

Didn't you just post recently if you were wealthy you would spend a couple of months in the USA and half the time in Spain?

 

Compare Siam Mall to the same caliber of mall in the USA, which there are many that are much better.

 

PS the cost of living is not staggering anywhere if you have an advanced education and/or have a skill where you can afford to live there.

 

I don't find the cost of living in Florida even remotely staggering with what I earn. Quite the opposite.

[Naam]

36 minutes ago, swissie said:

For god's sake Naam. You must be carrying the burden of being a major shareholder of multiple enterprises in Germany.

 

I have it easier. I just drop off the key to my house at my neighbor. Not forgetting to mention that I expect everything to be "untouched" upon my return. Him knowing, that I have excellent connections to the Thai-Mafia operating in Europe.

Very unburocratic really. 555

obviously you don't have pets, you don't have any staff and most probably you are 25 years younger me. one can't leave a house in central Europe unprepared for the winter months when there's a possibility of -25ºC temp and one can't leave a house in Florida stuffed with antique furniture and works of art "un"airconditioned in summer. you don't leave a house for several months without cancelling the newspaper, switching off the water mains, leaving the pool unattended, informing your insurance to add a premium and informing the monitoring service because the home is not lived in, and... and... and...

 

i wish i were a young man age 60-65 again

[bkkgriz]

7 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

why because they are checking on foreigners? their country, their rules, the definition of police state depends on what your politics are.

 

I could call the EU nations Police States quite convincingly.

I would call the EU failed states.

[Naam]

25 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Didn't you just post recently if you were wealthy you would spend a couple of months in the USA and half the time in Spain?

 

Compare Siam Mall to the same caliber of mall in the USA, which there are many that are much better.

 

PS the cost of living is not staggering anywhere if you have an advanced education and/or have a skill where you can afford to live there.

 

I don't find the cost of living in Florida even remotely staggering with what I earn. Quite the opposite.

12,500 Dollars Florida property taxes plus 8,800 Dollars home insurance including hurricane cover equals to 58,000 Baht a month, i.e. an amount many expats don't have as disposable income.

[giddyup]

2 hours ago, swissie said:

Outside of "Thailand-News" the "Visa-Forum" has the most threads (questions). There must be a reason for that. What could it be? The unproblematic visa situation, or just posters trying to keep "Ubon-Joe" busy?

People just like to whinge. The pluses of living in Thailand must far outweigh any negatives like visa problems otherwise why bother?

[bwpage3]

Well someone has to say it.

 

No one on this forum grew up dreaming of spending their dying days in Thailand.

 

Everyone one of you that are in Thailand are there because something went wrong in your life, yes it did and we will get to that, so don't deny it.

 

1. Like the OP said. In educated countries not one hot woman of 18 to 40 would give any of you the time of day. Why? Because they know more than "issue me" and "handsum man" and you would be a pervert in most countries.

2.  Thai women are considered attractive to all the losers that couldn't get an attractive woman in their own country. Me included at my age. Can their really match up with all the young, beautiful fit women in the USA? Absolutely not. Don't see many Thai woman gracing the pages of the world's best fashion mags or starring in world class movies? Plus they are stupid as shit.

 

3. Most Thai woman are dumb as shit. Ask them where Australia is on a map and they point to the North Pole. And the farangs are dumb as shit as well thinking most of these girls are looking at their old, ugly, fat ass instead of their wallets.

 

4. I moved to Thailand for the weather? Really? Which weather is that? the change your shirt 5 times a day humidity weather or the Monsoon Rains/Floods 6 months out of EVERY Year. Is that the wonderful weather you moved to Thailand for?

 

5. View of Pattaya beach? Really? Get your eyes checked man. That is not the Riviera that's for sure!

 

6. Property prices increases? How many of you have made a fortune in the Thai real estate market or how many actually a own a real house and land that is your own name?

 

7. How many of you are retirement age and couldn't afford to live on what you saved your ENTIRE life without having to leave your own country and live in the third world in Thailand?

 

8. How many people are working in Thailand with no retirement plan earning less than minimum wage and thinking they have life by the balls?

 

9. How many moved all the way to Thailand only to get divorced and outsmarted by an uneducated Thai woman?

 

10. How many old fools think their life revolves around sex and prostitutes?

 

11. How many are financially trapped and have no way to get home or no home to go back to?

 

So to be fair to anyone that moves back home, me included, I never grew up dreaming I would die in Thailand that is 100% fokking for sure!

 

I stayed there 10 years and that was probably about 7 years too many.

 

So what is the difference in all the nasty attitudes about people moving home?

 

Are you so jealous because you cannot? Because in case you cannot seen the signs everywhere, you are in Thailand where you have no rights. Your money is welcome, just not you.

 

Most never saved for retirement or most never had a job that paid anything.

 

Every time I hear someone say how "staggering costs are in the USA, I have to laugh my head off"

 

Sure if you are school teacher in Thailand or if you worked at McDonald's.

 

Not everyone in the world that ever lived in Thailand is a dumb ass shmuck.

 

If 99% of the people in Thailand could earn a couple hundred thousand dollars a year in their own country, they wouldn't even be in Thailand. Thailand is the financial failure fall-back.

 

The sad thing is most expats living in Thailand don't even know how <deleted> they really are. One major medical, one political climate change, blah, blah, blah and your happy existence is fokked. Keep thinking it will never happen just like the tsunami!

 

Do you like being seen with a hot 20 year old with the intelligence of a US kindergarten kid? Must have been sexually deprived your entire life to put up with that just for sex.

 

You think all the adults are looking at you thinking wow "You handsum man"? Or are they saying. "What a dumbshit to throw all his money away on that dumb girl"

 

You are fokking nuts to even start to believe you belong there or that the gov't gives a rats ass about you or your happiness. I think what you used to be called is a "Carpet Bagger"? Takes it to a new meaning when you move 10,000 miles away from your home to live.

 

The worse thing of all, as we can see in this post, people cannot distinguish fact from fiction. Many have talked themselves into the Utopia as they climb out of sea covered in plastic or they walk down their Soi covered with stray dog shit.

 

Yes, this is the Utopia you left your birth land for?

 

Because it is really better to get married to someone with less intelligence than a banana, they stay in the snow and jerk off. Good trade off.

 

Oh, Mister, why are you even on this forum Mister?

 

Excuse me? You only want the back slapping expat's on here that want to believe they found Utopia among all the trash on the streets and the burning fields of Chiang Mai?

 

Or you don't want to be reminded of the truth?

 

Before you bash anyone for doing whatever is they want to do with their own life, you should realize the truths of your own life.

 

If you can provide some evidence that it was your dream, when you were a small boy to move to Thailand and teach English and live like a pauper, then I will gladly apologize. But short of any evidence, no way!

 

The majority of you are there because something in your left went wrong, and instead owning up to it and telling the truth, you want to make up stories how much better life is in Thailand than in your motherland.

 

I bet 99% of you nut-grabbers if offered US $1,000,000 in cash would move in a heartbeat; so don't kid yourself to much that Thailand is a Utopia.

 

Thailand is YOUR Utopia, because that is all you can afford and their is nothing wrong with that as long as you tell it the way it is.

 

The OP is free. Let us rejoice he has found his happiness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bwpage3]

18 minutes ago, Naam said:

12,500 Dollars Florida property taxes plus 8,800 Dollars home insurance including hurricane cover equals to 58,000 Baht a month, i.e. an amount many expats don't have as disposable income.

$12,500 dollars Florida property tax if you own a house that is worth over US $1,000,000.

 

$450,000 house the property tax is around $4,000 in gated community. 

 

PS My home insurance is $1800 so once again $8,800 dollars you must be in a million + home

[bwpage3]

20 minutes ago, giddyup said:

People just like to whinge. The pluses of living in Thailand must far outweigh any negatives like visa problems otherwise why bother?

The pluses of living in Thailand?

 

If you can earn a high salary and can live anywhere, what plus exactly would Thailand have?

 

Read my other post.

[giddyup]

23 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

 I bet 99% of you nut-grabbers if offered US $1,000,000 in cash would move in a heartbeat; so don't kid yourself to much that Thailand is a Utopia.

 Make it 100 mil and I'll move to Lake Como, or the French Riviera. Kind of an irrelevant point though.

Edited August 26, 2018 by giddyup

[TKDfella]

In my very humble opinion, I don't think 'theguyfromanotherforum' should have posted that. We all have our reasons for staying in Thailand and those who eventually leave have their reasons too. There is no 'standard model' on what and what not, to do. Toleration limits vary, likes and dislikes vary...the list is almost endless. I've had many a problem in Thailand but I still want to stay but then I don't drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, am not a night club person, so there are many things I have not done or seen. I train and teach martial arts and have many friends here; I can study other subjects too with virtually a free mind. But then these are not what other expats want to do. I have enjoyed (and hope to continue to enjoy) the many experiences I have here. We are individuals and as long as we are true to ourselves then that's more than half the battle won.

[SteveK]

Wow that was some rant. Someone's got issues.

[tassieman]

23 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

...and thanks for saying it btw ? Excuse my ignorance of the idiom, but haven't worked out this one: "issue me" cheers, TM

 

 

[BobBKK]

Goodbye I agree Thailand's not for you. Enjoy Toronto and all those lovely girls, great weather etc.  Feel more sorry for your 'wife' and hope you settled something on her. Normally these things are discussed and agreed before you marry. No matter enjoy your life.

[OneMoreFarang]

9 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

I'm an American. Im privileged to live in the greatest country ever.

Which one? Thailand or the USA?

If you really think the USA is the greatest country ever then you must have big blinders near your eyes.

[bobbin]

7 hours ago, Gudge said:

The video in post # 80 is very true. I am a Canadian and have been spending 6 months in Thailand and 6 months in Canada for many years but am now starting to consider staying in Thailand permanently. I love Canada but since Jihad Justine Trudope was elected he is finishing what Pierre Trudeau started, destroying Canada. He is giving away Billions of dollars to countries that want to kill us, welcoming illegal economic refugee border crossers with open arms giving them free housing, medical, money and destroying anything that points out our past. All he has done since elected is dance in every gay pride parade, openly invite refugees into Canada for the free benifets while denying any increase in benifets to veterans or seniors that built this country and trying to turn Canada into another Muslim caliphate and impliment Sharia law which is funny because they throw people of his persuasion off rooftops. If one of our neglected vets don't take him out or he gets re-elected then as I love Canada sad to say I think I will have to stay in Thailand as I don't wish to live in Canastan

555. What an ignorant rant...

 

You forgot the "r" in your avatar name.

[OneMoreFarang]

7 hours ago, swissie said:

I ONLY COME HERE FOR THE GIRLS. Of course, this makes me a male chauvinist pig.
Thankfully, I will soon be able to make amends, by giving liberal donations to the local temples.

I donate mostly to single mothers. With monks and temples you never know where all that money ends up.

[Kwasaki]

10 hours ago, Naam said:

compared to Thailand my "Vaterland" Germany is a high security prison where you pay an arm and a leg of taxes if you opt to be a prisoner. i lived and worked in half a dozen countries but in none of them i enjoyed the freedom i enjoy here in Thailand.

My sentiments exactly did some work time abroad but mostly my home country England I was planning my escape at 55 and managed 57 retirement in England could never of offered the freedom or comfort of Thailand.

No doubt there are people from other countries or living in other countries that think it's better so why come to Thailand.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Naam said:

12,500 Dollars Florida property taxes plus 8,800 Dollars home insurance including hurricane cover equals to 58,000 Baht a month, i.e. an amount many expats don't have as disposable income.

 

Thank you. You have to be making stupid money, to be comfortable in the US these days. 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

Didn't you just post recently if you were wealthy you would spend a couple of months in the USA and half the time in Spain?

 

Compare Siam Mall to the same caliber of mall in the USA, which there are many that are much better.

 

PS the cost of living is not staggering anywhere if you have an advanced education and/or have a skill where you can afford to live there.

 

I don't find the cost of living in Florida even remotely staggering with what I earn. Quite the opposite.

 

You are more than likely making stupid money. Good on you. For most of us, $5,000 a month for housing expenses is just a bit much! Sorry, but I "served" nearly 12 years in Florida. I cannot even begin to imagine the circumstances that would require me to move back there. 

 

And as for the statement about the malls? All malls in the US are lifeless. Vanilla, boring as hell, sanitized, homogenized, pasteurized, tasteless, fabulously uninteresting, and possess no entertainment value on any level. I avoid them like the plague, when in the US. Here, I go out of my way to visit a great mall like Siam, or Central, when in Bangkok. Even Bluport in Hua Hin, beats most malls in the US hands down. 

Edited August 26, 2018 by spidermike007

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, swissie said:

I don't know what has driven the OP back to Canada. But I have a general idea what drives Farangs to Thailand. I am not going to lose sleep over it.

- But there is something that I sometimes lose sleep over:

Sometimes I wonder if resident Farangs have arrived in Thailand without any sense of humor or have they lost their sense of humor during their stay in Thailand? Not capable of reading between the lines, uncapable to see a certain sarcasm in a text.

I tend to assume the latter. Thais have no antenna for sarcasm at all. Living among Thai's for an extended period of time may well stifle the capability of Farangs to differentiate between a sarcastic comment and a Bank-Statement.

No wonder, I like the company of Tourist better than long-term Farang residents. The latter display a strange aura of somberness, not unlike pigs awaiting their final destiny in a corral in front of a slaughterhouse.

Much to my regret, haven't found a Emoji that indicates "sarcasm". So this will have to do?
Cheers.

I agree with some of what you write. But I am surprised that you like tourists more than long-term farang residents (in general).

I know there are some bad attitude long term farangs around. But mostly it's easy to avoid them.

At least in Bangkok there are also many farangs who live here for a long time and are happy and good company.

In my experience some tourists are alright. But many are just strange. I find especially all those tourists interesting who saw something on the internet or saw a video somewhere back home and who think they are now the Thailand experts. When they like to tell people who live here since forever what they should do or what is going on in Thailand I never know if I should laugh or cry.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, bwpage3 said:

Well someone has to say it.

The OP is free. Let us rejoice he has found his happiness.