For better or worse? Expats think Thailand is going down the pan, poll

[Spidey]

1 hour ago, DrTuner said:

Ahem. A "Villa" is at least four bedrooms with full AC. Electric around 9k baht/month in cold season, water 1600. Not a banoork concrete block with fans.

I have a 3 bedroomed "villa" with full AC. Electric < 3k baht, water <300 baht.

[Spidey]

1 hour ago, DrTuner said:

An it's relevant as the Thai sticks might be making a comeback - who knows, maybe in the nearby future we'll be chasing dragons again.

Never went away.

[marcusarelus]

47 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I probably wouldn't, having worked in some right sh1tholes around the world...........try Nigeria at the end of the Biafran war if you want "food with a difference", but the rats, cockroaches and dead fish here were in the main shopping area of the place I mentioned.

 

Food storage areas are renowned for pests, but the main shopping area???????????

Do you want me to post some more videos of rats in restaurants and grocery stores in the West?  Rats are everywhere in any place there is food.  Why do you think they have health inspectors?

[HalfLight]

58 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

It does have a meaning

In theory. In practice, it's a reflex action, subconscious, and to that extent, whatever meaning it used to have has long since gone the way of the dodo. They keep doing it because it's a reflex action, not because it implies anything right now - except perhsps 'I know I'm on a lower social stratum than you, please don't hurt me, I'm not a threat'.

 

I've been intrigued for a while at the custom of pooyay to keep their fingers separated when giving or returning a wai. It can be all fingers or just the ring and little fingers (this is what Chanocha prefers). It seems to be a signal that 'I live in a higher social stratum than you so watch it'.

 

Fascinating what antics these people get up to. It's all about ascendancy and face.

 

Not unlike lower-order primates, they have the same status-aware instinct.

Edited January 26, 2019 by HalfLight

[bowerboy]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

No, it's almost free for Thai citizens, I have to pay around 4k/year

 

Oh dear...I have great disdain for any foreigner that puts their own child into a Thai school when there are so many better options available...

 

Is this your own kid? Or one that you have inherited?

[thaiguzzi]

1 hour ago, HalfLight said:

though I straight up refuse point blank to return a 'wai'. Stupid bloody ritual (copied from another culture - as is normal with Thais), and it means not a damn thing.

 

1 hour ago, HalfLight said:

LOL

 

Man after my own heart. Nod and growl. Perfect. A cursory muttered-under-the-breath "far queue" being optional but satisfying in the face of insincerity...

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, HalfLight said:

I don't respect anyone, but I'm superficially polite to everyone.

I can't be arsed to read even a tenth of 43 pages and counting of this depressing drivel, but as one can see just of quotes pulled from one page, a 1 and a 1/2  day old thread is already 43 pages long, and counting, full of vitriol, non understanding of their surroundings, lack of respect of the local culture and just hideous glass half empty moaning types.

Basically a typical Thai Visa thread then.

[transam]

12 minutes ago, bowerboy said:

 

Oh dear...I have great disdain for any foreigner that puts their own child into a Thai school when there are so many better options available...

 

Is this your own kid? Or one that you have inherited?

Why...?

[thaiguzzi]

11 minutes ago, bowerboy said:

 

Oh dear...I have great disdain for any foreigner that puts their own child into a Thai school when there are so many better options available...

 

Is this your own kid? Or one that you have inherited?

Jesus wept.

Great disdain hey old chap? I say.

Re your question - none of your goddam business!!!

Is it me or can this forum actually get any worse and sink to any lower depths?

[HalfLight]

2 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

 

 

I can't be arsed to read even a tenth of 43 pages and counting of this depressing drivel, but as one can see just of quotes pulled from one page, a 1 and a 1/2  day old thread is already 43 pages long, and counting, full of vitriol, non understanding of their surroundings, lack of respect of the local culture and just hideous glass half empty moaning types.

Basically a typical Thai Visa thread then.

So sod off and get a hobby, see if anyone begs you to come back.

 

 

 

[HalfLight]

1 minute ago, thaiguzzi said:

Jesus wept.

Great disdain hey old chap? I say.

Re your question - none of your goddam business!!!

Is it me or can this forum actually get any worse and sink to any lower depths?

It's you.

 

 

 

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, HalfLight said:

 

Well, if you haven't met anyone yet who is worthy of your respect, you've missed out big-time. In my opinion. I agree about the superficial politeness, though I straight up refuse point blank to return a 'wai'. Stupid bloody ritual (copied from another culture - as is normal with Thais), and it means not a damn thing. Mind you, i'm older than most of them anyway so tradition says a return 'wai' is not expected, even though that tradition seems more honoured in the breach than the observance.

There are chavs and there are gentlemen. 

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, mommysboy said:

It is true that housing and bills are much cheaper in Thailand, but don't forget wages are lower here (may not be an issue for you).  Also, you are walking away from a great health package, which costs 60-100k per year in Thailand, has limitations, and stops in old age.  Someone with a family in Thailand will also likely be paying for education, even when it is not up to Oz standards.

It's only a great health package for emergency situations. Unless you have private health cover in Australia, you can expect a wait of 1 to 2 years for something like a hip replacement under Medicare.

[marcusarelus]

34 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

In theory. In practice, it's a reflex action, subconscious, and to that extent, whatever meaning it used to have has long since gone the way of the dodo. They keep doing it because it's a reflex action, not because it implies anything right now - except perhsps 'I know I'm on a lower social stratum than you, please don't hurt me, I'm not a threat'.

 

I've been intrigued for a while at the custom of pooyay to keep their fingers separated when giving or returning a wai. It can be all fingers or just the ring and little fingers (this is what Chanocha prefers). It seems to be a signal that 'I live in a higher social stratum than you so watch it'.

 

Fascinating what antics these people get up to. It's all about ascendancy and face.

 

Not unlike lower-order primates, they have the same status-aware instinct.

Is she a lower order primate then? 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, HalfLight said:

 

Well, if you haven't met anyone yet who is worthy of your respect, you've missed out big-time. In my opinion. I agree about the superficial politeness, though I straight up refuse point blank to return a 'wai'. Stupid bloody ritual (copied from another culture - as is normal with Thais), and it means not a damn thing. Mind you, i'm older than most of them anyway so tradition says a return 'wai' is not expected, even though that tradition seems more honoured in the breach than the observance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tend to agree, I just nod and smile politely. Not my culture, not my thing. Although there is a point to the wai, wherever it came from. More hygienic than shaking hands. How are

either party to a handshake to know if one hasn't been picking a wedgie out of his/her backside a few minutes prior to meeting?

Edited January 26, 2019 by Lacessit

[BritManToo]

35 minutes ago, bowerboy said:

Oh dear...I have great disdain for any foreigner that puts their own child into a Thai school when there are so many better options available...

 

Is this your own kid? Or one that you have inherited?

Do you think I should give preference to children in my care that I biologically fathered?

Should I feed them differently and hug them differently as well?

Are 100% Thai children worth less than 50% white children?

Edited January 26, 2019 by BritManToo

[Chriss77]

Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket are expensive. I choose now to spend most of my time in rural North, and only occasionally go south for a blow out 

[HalfLight]

20 hours ago, Jimdandy said:

That's it! 341 respondents. that number is not even a measurable number representative of the total population it is supposed to represent. Totally misleading. It is not even 1/10 of 1%. Totally misleading. 

Oh I don't know, It compiles a report on what 0,1% think. Some usefulness perhaps? It doesn't pretend to be important.

 

 

 

[josephbloggs]

41 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

 

 

I can't be arsed to read even a tenth of 43 pages and counting of this depressing drivel, but as one can see just of quotes pulled from one page, a 1 and a 1/2  day old thread is already 43 pages long, and counting, full of vitriol, non understanding of their surroundings, lack of respect of the local culture and just hideous glass half empty moaning types.

Basically a typical Thai Visa thread then.

And they come on here and moan about "the savages", they have no Thai friends, no Thais respect them etc.  Of course not, look at your behaviour!  Who's going to give respect to the man not making any effort to be cordial, muttering under his breath, not returning wais.

 

I just do not understand why these people stick around.

[Naam]

On 1/25/2019 at 10:49 AM, Bullie said:

Portugal, close to Coimbra. Nice freestanding house, 1500 m2 land with fruit trees, vines, some timber and private spring for a little less than 38,000 Euro's. Landtaxes less than 100 Euro's per year, cost of living 20 % lower than Thailand. Pleasant climate, 1 hours drive to the ocean. Excellent seafood and vegetables I am not scared of eating. (I am very careful in Thailand due to the pesticides and poison).

 

Thailand can't beat that.

how many imbeciles do you expect to believe your fairy tales? 

[marcusarelus]

9 minutes ago, Naam said:

how many imbeciles do you expect to believe your fairy tales? 

Half life, ginboy, odyssous, Chippy, Britmantoo, Xylophone, who did I miss?

[Jimdandy]

26 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

Oh I don't know, It compiles a report on what 0,1% think. Some usefulness perhaps? It doesn't pretend to be important.

 

 

 

I hear ya, but there are those who will take that information and run with it as truth. 

[HalfLight]

9 minutes ago, Jimdandy said:

I hear ya, but there are those who will take that information and run with it as truth. 

That's true, well, it is true - for the 0.1%. The mistake would be to assume that it is therefore true for the 100%, which is not shown by the survey results.

 

Good point.

 

 

[bowerboy]

55 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

you think I should give preference to children in my care that I biologically fathered?

Should I feed them differently and hug them differently as well?

Are 100% Thai children worth less than 50% white children?

If you purposely fathered a child with a Thai partner and you love that child then do you or do you not owe it to them to give them the very best chance in life?

 

fair enough if a persons financial situation does not allow you to move back to your own country but if it does and you choose to stay here and put your kid through the Thai education system then it really is a shame.

 

race or ethnicity does not come into it

[Spidey]

5 minutes ago, bowerboy said:

If you purposely fathered a child with a Thai partner and you love that child then do you or do you not owe it to them to give them the very best chance in life?

So if you adopt a 100% Thai child who isn't biologically yours, does the same not apply?

 

 

Edited January 26, 2019 by Spidey

[guzzi850m2]

I read page one and 44&45 of this topic and had enough.

 

Yesterday we went to Sizzler's (3 persons), the bill was just over 1000 baht. My wife have a Sizzler membership card so we saved over 200baht.

 

Last year I was back in Denmark for the first time in 14 years, and were one day out for dinner with 2 dear old friends and the bill was app 1500kr (app 7200 Baht), okay we shared a bottle of red wine but still. In DK you better like doing your own cooking or you will be ruined very quickly. In Thailand my wife often go out and buy food for eating home for the 3 of us and it's around 500 baht (5 different items + rice for 4 persons (my son eats 2X rice).

Edit: Forgot to add: Twice a month we buy imported steaks at BiC+ for app 800-1000 baht for the 3 of us; delicious imported ones from New Zealand or Australia and for New years evening I spend 1200 baht (total) for US steaks which off-course also was also delicious.

 

The 1st or 2 days in DK the weather was fine but then it turned into crap and I felt cold (in August month).

 

I was a happy dude when I was on the plane back HOME to Thailand.

Edited January 26, 2019 by guzzi850m2

[maprao]

Since you can't buy land in Thailand the only real comparison is rent and that is 10% of what is available in like places in the US.  Food is a fraction of the cost.  Wine cheap in the West women in Thailand.  Drunks go home.

Your wife can. If you trust her.I love it here but I also love the west, it's advanced and ordered lifestyle.

Tell yourself you came here for the temples . If you tell yourself enough times and often enough even you will believe it.

Oh yeah mine is different [emoji1][emoji1]

 

Sent from my SM-N960F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

[Mavideol]

8 minutes ago, guzzi850m2 said:

I read page one and 44&45 of this topic and had enough.

 

Yesterday we went to Sizzler's (3 persons), the bill was just over 1000 baht. My wife have a Sizzler membership card so we saved over 200baht.

 

Last year I was back in Denmark for the first time in 14 years, and were one day out for dinner with 2 dear old friends and the bill was app 1500kr (app 7200 Baht), okay we shared a bottle of red wine but still. In DK you better like doing your own cooking or you will be ruined very quickly. In Thailand my wife often go out and buy food for eating home for the 3 of us and it's around 500 baht (5 different items + rice for 4 persons (my son eats 2X rice)

The 1st or 2 days in DK the weather was fine but then it turned into crap and I felt cold (in August month).

 

I was a happy dude when I was on the plane back HOME to Thailand.

come on man....how can you compare living in Denmark vs living in Thailand, it's like comparing apples and oranges, Denmark is an European country with high living standards, social services, salaries, public services and so forth

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Is she a lower order primate then? 

I'm inclined to say yes.

[Spidey]

3 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

I'm inclined to say yes.

So what does that make Trump? An amoeba?

[bowerboy]

1 hour ago, Spidey said:

 

1 hour ago, bowerboy said:

If you purposely fathered a child with a Thai partner and you love that child then do you or do you not owe it to them to give them the very best chance in life?

So if you adopt a 100% Thai child who isn't biologically yours, does the same not apply?

 

Depends....if you purposely set out to adopt and rise a child as your own then yes.

 

but if you got into a relationship with someone that already has children in the Thai education system then in my opinion that is a different story.

 

Again though i do know that it can take a lot of money to get back into your home country if you decide to go back and that it just may not be financially possible for everyone..in that case then the situation is different