Mass Exodus

[MartinBKK]

I have lived here for 2 years and until recently i was very happy and loved Thailand and the Thai people.

In the last few weeks i have slowly started to consider my situation here also. Firstly we had the change in the visa rules. I am under 50 and not married to a Thai but i didn't find obtaining a non-immigrant visa so difficult so this isn't really having a big impact on my own situation. Im fairly convinced there will always be a solution to the visa issue if you have the money to pay for it.

However, the other factors which are influencing my thinking are:-

1. The coup. Whilst it may not affect me directly it certainly prevents me from wanting to make any substantial investment in a business here.

2. The bomb attacks on New Years Eve. Now i feel a little uneasy whenever i visit large public places such as MBK or Siam Paragon. Yes, it is true this sort of thing can happen anywhere nowadays but the political situation makes further attacks likely IMO.

3. The strength of the Baht. It has really got a lot more expensive for me to live here in the last year. The cheaper cost of living was a major reson for me coming here in the first place.

4. Thai economy. I think that Thailand has quite a few economic and political problems ahead.

5. The ever changing foreign property ownership rules. These really put me off wanting to buy a house or condo here. Im only young and don't want to rent a place forever.

6. Increase in violence in BKK. I suffered a particularly nasty incident in Sukhumvit a month ago. I have also got to hear about many other incidents involving either friends or friends of friends recently.

7. Increase in anti farang feeling. It is only my personal experience but I don't feel farang are made as welcome any longer. I have noticed an increase in unfriendly Thai people whereas 2 years ago, i thought these people were some of the most friendly in the world.

8. Thai people's obsession with money and lies. I have many Thai friends of different social status and i have come to realise that almost all Thai people are obsessed with money. I have also caught the majority of them in a lie at some point. Im now not sure i wish to persue a long term relationship with a Thai.

As a result of all these im now considering my long term future in Thailand. I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of other members, and whether they agree with the points i've made.

Cheers.

Edited February 20, 2007 by MartinBKK

[Momo8]

Well let's just say that we know we shouldn't be here, when the Thai (like Thaksin) are also leaving in droves.

[jasreeve17]

I have lived here for 2 years and until recently i was very happy and loved Thailand and the Thai people.

As a result of all these im now considering my long term future in Thailand. I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of other members, and whether they agree with the points i've made.

Cheers.

I would agree with all of your points.

But, much of this is to do with living in Bangkok. If I get away from the city then everything improves. Bangkok is not a great place for a foreigner to live for a sustained period of time - unless you have bucket loads of money...

[steveromagnino]

Well let's just say that we know we shouldn't be here, when the Thai (like Thaksin) are also leaving in droves.

document numbers or it didn't happen :-)

[bingobongo]

What a beautiful morning flying south down the coast at 300 feet off the water! Things are getting better and better each day here in the Kingdom! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy my brothers and sisters. We are truly lucky souls!

oh excuse me mr land,

could you please not be so positive, as you could quite possibly offend some of our more intelligent friends on thai visa.

this would be a travesty and could possibly land you in trouble with certain people and god forbid that.

thank you very much my friend.

terence

now one must remain on topic as there are certain rules one must adhere to on this wonderful forum.

i would say that thailand is the land of milk and honey, full to the brim with wonderful people but could surely lose some recalcitrant farang and carry on successfully.

thank you very much.

when your (and mdeland's) midlife crisis breaks and you become more lucid, please let us know

[terry57]

What a beautiful morning flying south down the coast at 300 feet off the water! Things are getting better and better each day here in the Kingdom! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy my brothers and sisters. We are truly lucky souls!

oh excuse me mr land,

could you please not be so positive, as you could quite possibly offend some of our more intelligent friends on thai visa.

this would be a travesty and could possibly land you in trouble with certain people and god forbid that.

thank you very much my friend.

terence

now one must remain on topic as there are certain rules one must adhere to on this wonderful forum.

i would say that thailand is the land of milk and honey, full to the brim with wonderful people but could surely lose some recalcitrant farang and carry on successfully.

thank you very much.

when your (and mdeland's) midlife crisis breaks and you become more lucid, please let us know

thank you very much MR bongo and you will be the first one to be informed when this occures.

good luck to you always.

terence

[tijnebijn]

Best martinbkk,I think you really consider thinks very well out.But like an other member pointed out,Bangkok is not Thailand.I think Chiangmai is the best place to stay in thailand if not South East Asia.

people here are easy going and everytime when I go 'south' people are really unfriendly if you used to the environment I am in.They are stressed,cooked up,and i think it not has direct hate feelings to foreigners,but more with overstresses to anybody who comes in there way.Outside bangkok is peace and really i must be honest,if you would ask me to stay one week in bangkok or leave thailand i would shoose the latter.....

Serious it is really too much there,I think many who are leaving Los from Bangkok,should reconsider first another place to stay and find out how the real thaipeople can be,and those are not the bangkokians,they are rude.And by the way many thais do not know we are longstayers,they think we are tourists most of the time,ans maybe with so much coming,many of them are rude,and makes them more antifarang,maybe.......

And so what,I do not care anyway whatever someone says to me,but it can be irritating for sure,believe me,bangkok is a must leave if you want to give Thailand a chance to stay.

[ollyrosee]

there is no doubt that after the honeymoon period ,guys do get fedup with LOS and yearn for some home comforts. it might take 3-5-8 years but eventually they do want to go home, thats if they havent burnt their bridges behind them when they left home. Living in DisneyLand is ok for a holiday but full time can get boring.

[admiraldy]

there is no doubt that after the honeymoon period ,guys do get fedup with LOS and yearn for some home comforts. it might take 3-5-8 years but eventually they do want to go home, thats if they havent burnt their bridges behind them when they left home. Living in DisneyLand is ok for a holiday but full time can get boring.

I do agree with Ollyrosee , living in LOS for long periods of time is not fun .

I used to work as an expat in BKK FOR 10 YEARS , untill i reached the boring stage , i left LOS 16 month ago , and at that time there was no coup , and the baht was around 40 , i do believe it is quiete difficult now with all the new development.

[oooooo]

I can't help but noiticing just having read the classified section on TV that there are a lot of people who are leaving LOS. Myself included after 6 years. I see on this and other web boards the same thing that many of us for whatever reason have decided that it is time to move on.

For me the decision started about a year ago when I began the Visa process for my Thai wife. As I stated before for me it was a combination of failed business, A young child,so education concerns. Unfavorable exchange rates and the current Visa and business climate.

LL

somebody once said "if u cant stand the heat get outta the kitchen", oh yes i remember it was sir winston churchill

Edited February 20, 2007 by oooooo

[jomama]

After living in Chiang Mai for 15 years I recently relocated to Beijing. Some of the reasons:

* No matter how long I worked with Thais, I never "adapted" to dealing with the incompetence combined with arrogance -- the vapid smile and then continue to do things that anyone with an IQ above 80 would not do (I rest my case on that one).

* Constantly dealing with barking dogs.

* My Thai wife's family, who have done nothing to plan for the future -- in fact did little to enable her to have a decent life, but she went to college and managed to do OK anyway -- yet expect us to now support the drunken father and the controlling mother (and the shallow little sister who is more interested in a cellphone than a life).

* Drivers who will run you off the road then laugh about it. What kind of person flashes their bright light for you to get out of the way when there is a red light just ahead? When you are already going 100 kph? (Please see my first bullet).

*Culturally correct farangs who will insist that none of that actually happened, and if it did, it is somehow your fault. These guys are in such a deep state of denial they really do need a shrink. But perhaps that's why they came to Thailand in the first place.

* Lying and corruption.

* Never getting my deposit back.

* No place to walk, so you walk in the street and can quite easily be run over.

* Burning trash

* No one takes responsibility -- it's "up to you" and always your fault.

In general those I know who continue to stay for the very long term are:

*Retired, and spending money can certainly get you a life in Thailand, and insulate you from the more savage aspects.

*Whoremongers to the pathological level, including seriously intense gays and pedophiles.

*People without options out.

*Sociopaths who do everything the Thais tell them, then get a good pat on the head, then they are OK. These folks usually speak, read and write Thai very well.

*Drug addicts and alcoholics who are lost and don't have their sh*t together enough to get organized and leave.

With the way the West is now, I fully understand why people don't want to go back, but that doesn't mean you have to have a life with zero rights and be abused by your colleagues, landlords, bosses, "girlfriends", in-laws.....

I know it's bleak guys, but I came to Thailand wanting to be friends with people and trying my best. Those who fit one of the categories above will say it's all my fault, that I never understood, that I have the wrong attitude. OK the, pat them on the head and tell them they've been good boys...they have complied, so smile and wait for the next lie.

[borracho]

^While you make many valid observations about thailand and thai people, the important thing remains is that "attitude is everything".

Enjoy Beijing I understand it's the garden spot of China.

Oh yes and say hi to all the nice snorting, spitting, grunting loud mouthed chinese!

[jomama]

^While you make many valid observations about thailand and thai people, the important thing remains is that "attitude is everything".

Enjoy Beijing I understand it's the garden spot of China.

Oh yes and say hi to all the nice snorting, spitting, grunting loud mouthed chinese!

Ya, that's true. But at least they know how to get the job done. A refreshing change from Thailand, even though a much rougher place on the surface. But they take their connections and relationships seriously here. In your face is better than a stab in the back.

Edited February 21, 2007 by jomama

[JimmyTheMook]

After living in Chiang Mai for 15 years I recently relocated to Beijing. Some of the reasons:

* No matter how long I worked with Thais, I never "adapted" to dealing with the incompetence combined with arrogance -- the vapid smile and then continue to do things that anyone with an IQ above 80 would not do (I rest my case on that one).

* Constantly dealing with barking dogs.

* My Thai wife's family, who have done nothing to plan for the future -- in fact did little to enable her to have a decent life, but she went to college and managed to do OK anyway -- yet expect us to now support the drunken father and the controlling mother (and the shallow little sister who is more interested in a cellphone than a life).

* Drivers who will run you off the road then laugh about it. What kind of person flashes their bright light for you to get out of the way when there is a red light just ahead? When you are already going 100 kph? (Please see my first bullet).

*Culturally correct farangs who will insist that none of that actually happened, and if it did, it is somehow your fault. These guys are in such a deep state of denial they really do need a shrink. But perhaps that's why they came to Thailand in the first place.

* Lying and corruption.

* Never getting my deposit back.

* No place to walk, so you walk in the street and can quite easily be run over.

* Burning trash

* No one takes responsibility -- it's "up to you" and always your fault.

In general those I know who continue to stay for the very long term are:

*Retired, and spending money can certainly get you a life in Thailand, and insulate you from the more savage aspects.

*Whoremongers to the pathological level, including seriously intense gays and pedophiles.

*People without options out.

*Sociopaths who do everything the Thais tell them, then get a good pat on the head, then they are OK. These folks usually speak, read and write Thai very well.

*Drug addicts and alcoholics who are lost and don't have their sh*t together enough to get organized and leave.

With the way the West is now, I fully understand why people don't want to go back, but that doesn't mean you have to have a life with zero rights and be abused by your colleagues, landlords, bosses, "girlfriends", in-laws.....

I know it's bleak guys, but I came to Thailand wanting to be friends with people and trying my best. Those who fit one of the categories above will say it's all my fault, that I never understood, that I have the wrong attitude. OK the, pat them on the head and tell them they've been good boys...they have complied, so smile and wait for the next lie.

This was so sharp it cuts !

[samran]

One thing I don't get, especially for the long termers who have built a life here, who have obviously had to work and make a crust here to survive. Hasn't applying for residency ever been a consideration? One time upfront investment of time to get the paperwork, and the money...and then you are in.

I know in some cases (SBK) the provincial authorities don't have a clue where to start, but having seen others go through the process, it isn't rocket science to get PR here and it is do-able for most people who have worked here, paid their taxes and have a link to Thailand.

[borracho]

Ya, that's true. But at least they know how to get the job done. A refreshing change from Thailand, even though a much rougher place on the surface. But they take their connections and relationships seriously here. In your face is better than a stab in the back.

You haven't been in China long.

Who do you think run the show in Thailand? The Thai-Chinese do.

The Chinese are hardly the models of philanthropy.

[Mid]

*Culturally correct farangs who will insist that none of that actually happened, and if it did, it is somehow your fault. These guys are in such a deep state of denial they really do need a shrink. But perhaps that's why they came to Thailand in the first place.

around these parts ??

I'm shocked

[jomama]

Ya, that's true. But at least they know how to get the job done. A refreshing change from Thailand, even though a much rougher place on the surface. But they take their connections and relationships seriously here. In your face is better than a stab in the back.

You haven't been in China long.

Who do you think run the show in Thailand? The Thai-Chinese do.

The Chinese are hardly the models of philanthropy.

I'm not looking for philanthropy, and certainly didn't expect it in China. But compared to the Thais, these guys are straight on. When they hire a foreigner, they know they need him and treat him with some respect, and they're already taking care of things much better than the Thais did.

Take it for what its worth: I was amazed at the level of development here. It's not as bad as I thought, and certainly their city planning, etc. is world class. Their subway will soon be the biggest in the world...they are now the world's second-largest car market...and the list goes on. Beijing ain't the easiest place to live...it's absolutely enormous..but for quality of life, I'm sorry to tell you, it is better than Chiang Mai, and certainly Bangkok.

[LoveDaBlues]

Well, I think this question of staying/leaving largely comes down to age and family status. I'm 50 so I don't have any major visa hassles (retirement visa). If I weren't 50 the visa runs could get old pretty fast and I might be inclined to leave. Also, I don't have/want any children. If I had kids I would want them to get a better education than I have seen offered in Thailand.

For me I enjoy my life here in Thailand more than what I left in the states. My life in the states was good. But here I've learned to relax more and not worry so much about getting things done NOW.

Also, it doesn't hurt having a brown-skinned 26yo to curl up with every night......

I am 48 yo, so soon will reach that magical age when getting my yearly visa will be that much easier. Allthough married to a Thai with a son ( Thai/English passport ) it is not much of a problem or hardship anyway.

Regarding my sons education. I have some good friends who visit us here once or twice a year. The wife of this couple was until last year a Headmistress in a school in the UK. She has visited the international school where my son goes and was very impressed with the standard of education he receives. She said he was probably one year or so ahead of his age group in the UK. Ok, the fees are excessive but no more expensive than Germany or Spain where I lived for many years.

The only problem I see are his prospects after he leaves school/university. What then?

Reading the Daily Telegraph Online every morning is enough to put me off even thinking about going back.

I stand corrected; glad to see there are some decent venues here for a good education.

[soundman]

After living in Chiang Mai for 15 years I recently relocated to Beijing. Some of the reasons:

* No matter how long I worked with Thais, I never "adapted" to dealing with the incompetence combined with arrogance -- the vapid smile and then continue to do things that anyone with an IQ above 80 would not do (I rest my case on that one).

* Constantly dealing with barking dogs.

* My Thai wife's family, who have done nothing to plan for the future -- in fact did little to enable her to have a decent life, but she went to college and managed to do OK anyway -- yet expect us to now support the drunken father and the controlling mother (and the shallow little sister who is more interested in a cellphone than a life).

* Drivers who will run you off the road then laugh about it. What kind of person flashes their bright light for you to get out of the way when there is a red light just ahead? When you are already going 100 kph? (Please see my first bullet).

*Culturally correct farangs who will insist that none of that actually happened, and if it did, it is somehow your fault. These guys are in such a deep state of denial they really do need a shrink. But perhaps that's why they came to Thailand in the first place.

* Lying and corruption.

* Never getting my deposit back.

* No place to walk, so you walk in the street and can quite easily be run over.

* Burning trash

* No one takes responsibility -- it's "up to you" and always your fault.

In general those I know who continue to stay for the very long term are:

*Retired, and spending money can certainly get you a life in Thailand, and insulate you from the more savage aspects.

*Whoremongers to the pathological level, including seriously intense gays and pedophiles.

*People without options out.

*Sociopaths who do everything the Thais tell them, then get a good pat on the head, then they are OK. These folks usually speak, read and write Thai very well.

*Drug addicts and alcoholics who are lost and don't have their sh*t together enough to get organized and leave.

With the way the West is now, I fully understand why people don't want to go back, but that doesn't mean you have to have a life with zero rights and be abused by your colleagues, landlords, bosses, "girlfriends", in-laws.....

I know it's bleak guys, but I came to Thailand wanting to be friends with people and trying my best. Those who fit one of the categories above will say it's all my fault, that I never understood, that I have the wrong attitude. OK the, pat them on the head and tell them they've been good boys...they have complied, so smile and wait for the next lie.

Did you try adjusting your attitude to a quasi thai way of thinking? Even a little bit?? Or did you build a little igloo, with the things the way you like, and expect everyone else to follow your lead.

After 15 years in thai, i would have thought you'd become a little more assimilated. Why move to a foreign country and expect it to be the same as your original country. Its not.

Soundman.

[jomama]

Nah, I never assimilated, but:

* I'm married to a Thai

* I speak Thai

* I owned two cars with all the insurance, etc.

* I had a work permit and year-long visa for 14 years

* I helped send my wife's sister through college

* I spent a night in a Thai jail (in which I was treated well)

* I've had to defend our former house against packs of dogs and numerous snakes

Can you say the same?

[soundman]

Nah, I never assimilated, but:

* I'm married to a Thai

* I speak Thai

* I owned two cars with all the insurance, etc.

* I had a work permit and year-long visa for 14 years

* I helped send my wife's sister through college

* I spent a night in a Thai jail (in which I was treated well)

* I've had to defend our former house against packs of dogs and numerous snakes

Can you say the same?

Mores the pitty, or should I say the petty...

Have you ever done anything beneficial for thai society?

* I'm married to a Thai

* I speak Thai language above the average level for the amount of time I have been in country

* I have children in thailand which are looked after very well.

* I own numerous cars & work vehicles all with insurance (1st level), etc. Blah Blah.

* I own a factory that gives employment to over 40 thai citizens & makes reasonable profit.

* My wife's family employs nearly 300 thai citizens in various family business's.

* We are very involved in all levels of local community from schooling to orbortor to thesaban functions.

* I have not spent a night in any Thai jail & do not plan to.

* & the list goes on........

I made the decision to live in thai, I am happy with it. I am not running away in the face of adversity & un-predicatabilty.

My children's future is secure.

Good luck to you sir.

Soundman.

[whopper]

jomama,

I live in Chiang Mai. All your points are valid and I enjoyed your observations. Thank god I fall under the retired category because working here wouldn't be too much fun I suspect. Good luck in China.

[jomama]

Mores the pitty, or should I say the petty...

Have you ever done anything beneficial for thai society?

* I'm married to a Thai

* I speak Thai language above the average level for the amount of time I have been in country

* I have children in thailand which are looked after very well.

* I own numerous cars & work vehicles all with insurance (1st level), etc. Blah Blah.

* I own a factory that gives employment to over 40 thai citizens & makes reasonable profit.

* My wife's family employs nearly 300 thai citizens in various family business's.

* We are very involved in all levels of local community from schooling to orbortor to thesaban functions.

* I have not spent a night in any Thai jail & do not plan to.

* & the list goes on........

I made the decision to live in thai, I am happy with it. I am not running away in the face of adversity & un-predicatabilty.

My children's future is secure.

Good luck to you sir.

Soundman.

Thank you for your good wishes. And I am very happy that you can take care of your children and give people decent work. I mean that.

My contribution was to help start one of the international schools in Chang Mai. I left because I realized that I must take care of my wife, and working under the Thai system, I better get off my ass and take control of my own life instead of waiting around to greng jai somebody.

If you are in total control, you can do something. You have my sincere respect that you were able to swim against the tide. In the end, I was not.

[sonicdragon]

Generally I believe in "When in Rome..." and this would apply to many of your points. However I don't believe it applies to stupidity, incompetence and laziness, so on these points I agree wholeheartedly. I have worked for several large companies in thailand, some foreign multi-nationals and some Thai. Without exception I have found it incredibly difficult to hire competent local staff at any level above the most menial. And the efficiency of "good" staff is always much lower than other countries in asia where I have lived - Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore and Taiwan - even taking into account the lower cost. Generally Thais are not good in business - Chinese, Indians and Japanese are. Thais are good at agriculture. Excuse me if you find this racist, it is not intended as such. But it is no surprise to me that hardly any Thai companies can hold their own on the world stage. And even in thailand big business is dominated by the chinese-thais. But the chinese will never dominate politics here - the army won't allow that. Thaksin was slowly installing his (mainly chinese) cronies into positions of power and I believe that is one important factor behind the coup in September.

[LoveDaBlues]

excuse me my good fellow,

could i please ask you a question as your post has me troubled.

if you consider this land is full of idiots ( as you so eloquently put it ) why do you not leave this troubled land like your learned friends have decided to do. ?

maybe you could gain a discount by travelling as a treo. ?

they are obviously in possession of inside information that myself and my dear friend bendix are not privy too.

thank you very much my dear man.

terence.

god is the only way out.

Precisely terry57. Why would anyone want to stay in a country they don't like, run and populated by people they dismiss as idiots, especially when they have a choice?

I just don't get it.

This is not paradise. Far from it. But it's a ###### sight better than anywhere else I've ever lived, and many many times better than the much-vaunted Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines that seem to be the popular choices for others.

I've said this before and I'll say it again - some people are born complainers and will never find happiness, wherever they are. Nothing wrong with that, of course, it's just the way it is.

Me? Well I prefer to look at my life here and the life of my peers in the my homeland, compare the two and thank my lucky stars that I'm here and not there.

If that's complacent, then I bask in that complacency.

It might get worse - of course it might. It might stay the same. It might get better.

But (and here's a popular bendix refrain) as a rational adult capable of assessing the situation, weighing up the pros and cons, and coming to a decision, I decide to stay.

Never EVER EVER been happier, anywhere else in my life.

second that

[qwertz]

excuse me my good fellow,

could i please ask you a question as your post has me troubled.

if you consider this land is full of idiots ( as you so eloquently put it ) why do you not leave this troubled land like your learned friends have decided to do. ?

maybe you could gain a discount by travelling as a treo. ?

they are obviously in possession of inside information that myself and my dear friend bendix are not privy too.

thank you very much my dear man.

terence.

god is the only way out.

Precisely terry57. Why would anyone want to stay in a country they don't like, run and populated by people they dismiss as idiots, especially when they have a choice?

I just don't get it.

This is not paradise. Far from it. But it's a ###### sight better than anywhere else I've ever lived, and many many times better than the much-vaunted Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines that seem to be the popular choices for others.

I've said this before and I'll say it again - some people are born complainers and will never find happiness, wherever they are. Nothing wrong with that, of course, it's just the way it is.

Me? Well I prefer to look at my life here and the life of my peers in the my homeland, compare the two and thank my lucky stars that I'm here and not there.

If that's complacent, then I bask in that complacency.

It might get worse - of course it might. It might stay the same. It might get better.

But (and here's a popular bendix refrain) as a rational adult capable of assessing the situation, weighing up the pros and cons, and coming to a decision, I decide to stay.

Never EVER EVER been happier, anywhere else in my life.

second that

Amen, LOs is balm for my bruised heart.

[soundman]

Thank you for your good wishes. And I am very happy that you can take care of your children and give people decent work. I mean that.

My contribution was to help start one of the international schools in Chang Mai. I left because I realized that I must take care of my wife, and working under the Thai system, I better get off my ass and take control of my own life instead of waiting around to greng jai somebody.

If you are in total control, you can do something. You have my sincere respect that you were able to swim against the tide. In the end, I was not.

I have to say that a person who knows the meaning of "greng jai" (no real translation to english - but "taking advantage of a more senior person than you for their time/hospitality/favourtism etc" might suffice), must have "assimilated" alot more than appears on the surface. I am sorry, I really did not mean to get into a "pis$ing contest".

I understand that you were trying to get a point accross as to why you have left thai. It just appeared a little strange that "dogs" figured prominently.

I hope your contribution to the inter school has met with success. My children will be attending inter school in the next year or so, & I do believe that foreigners will be (whatever natioanlity) a big part of their education. I do hope some of their future teachers are from the school of "greng jai" rather than that TV poster se&n$$inBKK charachter.

Cheers & health,

Soundman.

[bingobongo]

the exodus may accelerate if this intensfies

this junta has no intention of stepping down and only a matter of time before more bombings come to bangkok......

High risk of civil war in southern Thailand

"Meanwhile the ruling military junta seems to be more interested in consolidating its power in Bangkok than in finding a solution."

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&...8547&size=A

[jomama]

I have to say that a person who knows the meaning of "greng jai" (no real translation to english - but "taking advantage of a more senior person than you for their time/hospitality/favourtism etc" might suffice), must have "assimilated" alot more than appears on the surface. I am sorry, I really did not mean to get into a "pis$ing contest".

I understand that you were trying to get a point accross as to why you have left thai. It just appeared a little strange that "dogs" figured prominently.

I hope your contribution to the inter school has met with success. My children will be attending inter school in the next year or so, & I do believe that foreigners will be (whatever natioanlity) a big part of their education. I do hope some of their future teachers are from the school of "greng jai" rather than that TV poster se&n$$inBKK charachter.

Cheers & health,

Soundman.

The international school teachers who make the sacrifice to live in Thailand -- low pay, check in every 90 days, spoken of poorly among other members of the expat community, and even their international peers -- are worthy of your children's education. While it seems expensive, the quality is quite high.

I don't know -- looking back I don't know why I stayed so long. It was an administrative position and thought that I could effect change. In the end it was just the owner's 30-year-old daughter talking to the secretaries who ran the place. I didn't kiss enough ass, but it was I who left, and they were angry that I did.

But to answer your question: yes I believe that I did have a contribution. My students still write me.

And I am so glad there are no barking dogs in Beijing.