I would bet a week's pay that 90% of the people going on about how difficult it is to get permanent residence or citizenship have actually tried.

 

Presumably you mean 'haven't actually tried'?

 

I assume many posters are retired.  There is no route for PR or citizenship if you are retired.

 

For those who are working in Thailand, you need a work permit of course.  In all my years of living in Phuket I never managed to get a WP because the Labour Office either demanded an under-the-table payment to issue the WP, or refused to issue a WP for a legal entity other than a Thai ltd company.

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Presumably you mean 'haven't actually tried'?

 

I assume many posters are retired.  There is no route for PR or citizenship if you are retired.

 

For those who are working in Thailand, you need a work permit of course.  In all my years of living in Phuket I never managed to get a WP because the Labour Office either demanded an under-the-table payment to issue the WP, or refused to issue a WP for a legal entity other than a Thai ltd company.

Never had any trouble getting a work permit, never had to pay anyone off to get it.

On 2/9/2019 at 10:33 PM, Peterw42 said:

"If you could do it all again, would you choose living in Thailand? "

 

Yup.

 

Next.

 

Never had any trouble getting a work permit, never had to pay anyone off to get it.

 

Good for you.  Please explain how your situation helps those like me who have been held 'hostage' by bribe-seeking officials?

51 minutes ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Good for you.  Please explain how your situation helps those like me who have been held 'hostage' by bribe-seeking officials?

Maybe stop being a smurf? Especially a green smurf? 

 

????

 

13 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Good for you.  Please explain how your situation helps those like me who have been held 'hostage' by bribe-seeking officials?

 

I don't know that anything would help people like you. You (and people like you) already know everything you ever will.

 

I imagine everything negative in your life is the fault of others, in this case bribe-seeking officials, yes?

On 2/10/2019 at 5:10 PM, sanemax said:

I first came to Thailand when backpacking when 20 years old , back when everything was different (to the UK) new and exciting and loved Thailand .

  Then came to Thailand for long holidays during the UK winter , whilst working in UK and then enjoyed the development of Thailand  , better roads, hotels and transport .

  Then moved to Thailand about ten years ago , when it was still full-on , drinking all hours and a hedonistic lifestyle and loved it .

  Now Thailand has calmed down a bit , and so have I , quite welcome the alcohol sales restrictions , so much so, that I stopped drinking completely and still like living in Thailand .

   I've been quite lucky , seeing Thailand change from the hedonistic anything goes life , to a more civil life , which kind of matched my own lifestyle requirements

This very much matches how my life here evolved.

1. One stop on many, backpacking circuit

2. Sketchy life in Pattaya

3. Sporting life camping, hiking

4. Meeting wife, moving BKK

5. Come out of retirement teaching English

6. Work hard, establish good 2nd career teaching. Well paid.

7. Quiet married life. Restaurants, domestic, international trips

 

Funny to read the stories men claiming all the women full of deceit and all common whores. They've just never been able to sort themselves out socially. Same with Thai society. If everyone is out to scam you, you're obviously playing small ball. Yes, it's a venal, incorrigible country. Vietnam and Philippines are equally as scammy.