Feeling 'eyed' by Thailand and what I'm planning on doing about it

[beautifulthailand99]

On 3/20/2019 at 9:18 PM, Sheryl said:

 

Actually it is the areas with many farangs where attitudes tend to be negative. (Make of that what you will...)

 

In what you call "Thai ghettos", rarely any dislike or prejudice towards farangs. Some curiosity is about it.

 

I haven't experienced any change in attitudes where I live (an area with scarcely another farang to be seen). And 95% of people are pleasant and welcoming. The few ones who aren't, I suspect are usually rather crabby personalities to begin with.

 

Of course, living in a mostly or totally Thai area would not suit everyone. You need speak the language, be reasonably acculturated, and satisified to have most of your interpersonal interactions be with people from another culture.

 

 

That may have something to do with being a cultured, erudite western female.  ????

[Nyezhov]

56 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

I guess if you spend your days bouncing around Thailand on a 90 day visa from one sliced fruit vendor to the next noodle stall and spend your evenings smoking and drinking yourself into an early grave without ever interacting with Thais beyond grunted transactions in pigeon Thai until it's time to go home, it's easy to delude yourself into thinking 'it's all good.'

Look dude, I dont drink, OK.....and I go to the Noodle Stall first, what sort of clueless farang eats fruit before Noodles!

[Berkshire]

17 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

We left Thailand after being there for 10 years and moved to Florida USA in 2014.

 

 

So for her, leaving Thailand wasn't a big deal and greatly improved her quality of life.

 

The grass for her is greener in the USA, than it ever would have been in Thailand.

Yes, so you've told us a gazillion times.  Florida is your heaven on Earth.

 

Speaking of Florida, what the heck is it about the guys over there?  There are constantly stories about Florida men doing crazy sht.  So much so that there's now a Florida Man Challenge, to see what crazy sht shows up on Google.  Are you one of these crazy Florida dudes?  

 

[And the headlines that are stranger than fiction keep rolling in.

People are now excited to find out what antics Florida Man had in store, and sharing the bizarre news results.

It all began when Twitter user g_pratimaaa had an idea.

“EVERYBODY google “florida man” followed by your birthday (florida man august 22) and tell me what you get. mine is Florida Man tries to attack neighbor with tractor.”]

 

http://time.com/5555893/florida-man/

 

 

 

[ThaiBunny]

6 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

I remember being overwhelmed with sadness as I had to trudge through legions of old folks on the beach with black socks and speedo bathing suits and the ancient bag boys at the grocery stores in Florida and the hoards roaming the streets like zombies looking for early bird dinners and buying ill fitting garish clothes at Wallmart. 

Is it true that even the hookers in Miami have pacemakers?

[totally thaied up]

Been home for a few days now. Farangland is much better than I was imagining and the people saying it’s expensive don’t see the massive cut we have had to our Aussie dollar and the fact the baht has eroded away some of that benefit. I can live here at the same cost I think after doing my shopping today.

 

Let me see how this goes but today I sorted out a lot of things and did not have to bow and scrape to get things done at the banks, government offices and free doctors services. I miss something’s like my daily coffee shops but that can be replaced by swims in clean ocean waters and not having to wear a N95 mask. 

 

Grass is is green in Thailand as well as Australia so maybe a combination of the two. My wife saw the ocean for the first time and fell in love with the water. I had to stop her from wanting to go for a swim fully clothed and spent this afternoon buying a swim suit.

 

Like I said, let’s see how this goes as it is early days yet.

[ThaiBunny]

6 minutes ago, totally thaied up said:

I can live here at the same cost I think after doing my shopping today.

Whenever I've been in Australia recently I've been gobsmacked at the quality, quantity, availability and cheap prices of fruit and vegetables in the major supermarkets - far, far better in every way than what I can get in Thai supermarkets.  I'm not a big meat eater and generally eat out if I'm eating meat; I had a set menu lunch in a Thai restaurant last time I was in Sydney (Green Peppercorn in the city if anyone's interested) for under 300 baht

[Gecko123]

On 3/20/2019 at 9:18 PM, Sheryl said:

 

Actually it is the areas with many farangs where attitudes tend to be negative. (Make of that what you will...)

 

In what you call "Thai ghettos", rarely any dislike or prejudice towards farangs. Some curiosity is about it.

 

I haven't experienced any change in attitudes where I live (an area with scarcely another farang to be seen). And 95% of people are pleasant and welcoming. The few ones who aren't, I suspect are usually rather crabby personalities to begin with.

 

Of course, living in a mostly or totally Thai area would not suit everyone. You need speak the language, be reasonably acculturated, and satisified to have most of your interpersonal interactions be with people from another culture.

I've been meaning to comment on this post for several days and am glad that the earlier poster resurrected it.

 

Total respect, but you have to acknowledge that your experiences in rural Thailand have to have been heavily influenced by your gender.

 

First, there's the novelty factor. Western women, whether single or involved with a Thai person, are as scarce as hen's teeth in a rural village setting.

 

Second, you probably enjoy more freedom of interaction with Thai women by virtue of your gender, right? And Thai women, in general, are more receptive to foreigners because over the years they have had more interaction with foreigners than the average Thai man.

 

A foreign man living in a village, can't really pursue anything resembling a friendship with a married Thai woman without raising serious eyebrows. A foreign man can't explore a relationship with an unattached woman in a village without tongues starting to cluck. I guess you could say the same restrictions would apply to a foreign woman trying to strike up a friendship with a village man. Fair enough. If I recall correctly, you alluded to having a number of employees, and I am sure that your status as an employer earns you a measure of goodwill too.

 

But with that said, I have to say that the notion that a foreigner immersed in a village is going to enjoy a lasting full embrace by the village community is something of a myth, in my experience. And when I say "my experience" I am not only talking about how I have been received, but my observations on how just about every other foreign man who has lived in my vicinity has been received. That's been about 15 guys over the years.

 

From the earliest days of moving to my village 16 years ago, there were some people who tried to nickel-and-dime me, and saw me as someone who could possibly be taken advantage of. This was maybe 10% - by no means everyone - but it happened enough to keep me on my toes. Mostly nickel-and-dime stuff in stores, but as things progressed over the years, I encountered some serious attempts to steal money, mostly through trickery and deception, some of it land related. One thing which absolutely shocked me to no end was that in order for a number of the schemes to be pulled off, the participation of multiple individuals was required. The willingness of people to play supporting roles in these schemes really shocked me, as did the fact that no one ever tipped me off until well after the fact. Now, most of that settled down pretty quickly, and for the past 10 years there really hasn't been any serious attempt to rip me off.

 

As far as making friends in a village with everyday folk, I'll say this.

 

On a number of occasions, what I initially thought was genuine chemistry between me and another villager eventually turned out to be someone with an ulterior motive, most often someone laying the groundwork to hit me up for a loan, and once the money was loaned, the interest in friendship seemed to fall by the wayside.

 

For example, the poo yai's wife, oh my god, it was wall to wall laughing at my jokes, shooting the s--t, and helpful guidance whenever I had a problem that required the involvement of her husband. I actually thought she had the hots for me. But one morning, she and her husband stopped by the house, and asked me for a loan, and there was definitely a vibe like if you don't lend us the money, we might not be especially helpful in the future if you need our help. So I lent them the money. The promised payback date came and went without any repayment. When months later I wrote them a note asking to be repaid, they did eventually repay me, but the puu yai's wife's interest in shoot the breeze with me was never the same.

 

My next door neighbor was much the same story. Really nice guy, nice wife, three daughters, one had autism, very helpful, we laughed a lot, always greeted one another and often sat and talked in the shade when we took a break from tending our respective gardens. He asked to borrow 3,000 baht, didn't repay it. Mentally forgave the loan, absolutely no problem. Came back a few months later and wanted to borrow 30,000 baht which was a nonstarter. But we still remain friends, and I've gone over to his house dozens of times and talked to either him or his wife. No question the closest friendship I ever formed in my village.

 

There's Mut, age about 50, who tilled our land, and later rented it. Very nice guy. We've exchanged confidences about how he feels about certain other people in the village, and he's educated me a lot about land law and land reform issues. Little bit of political talk. Every member of his family always greets me when they see me.

 

Prayat, about 50 as well, used to be a farmer, now he's a wholesale plaa raa vendor, part time amphoe officer, has thrown in the towel on farming and rents his land out. Nice guy, happy to shoot the s--t whenever I come over, but rarely if ever stops by my house. Tutoring his daughter in English ages ago was how our relationship started.

 

The list of other guys I've befriended would be a lot longer except that so many of them have died: Tiab, Som Chai, Nuk, Jain, and a bunch more casual acquaintances whose names escape me at the moment. Mostly alcohol and drug related deaths. Others have gone to jail for long periods of time, invariably on drug charges, and still others, even though officially still living in the village, have effectively moved away, including my best friend neighbor Laem who started driving truck at a cement factory outside Saraburi. So the premature death, incarceration and migration to urban areas for work are all factors which affect a foreign guy's ability to bond with village men.

 

The bottom line is that while I have found interactions with villagers to be affable enough, it is far from being one big happy family, and to say that a foreigner who puts in a modest effort will be embraced in short order as a full fledged member of the community is misleading at best.

 

Just for the record, I studied Thai intensively for 9 years before moving here. I can speak, read, write, and (at one time) touchtype Thai. The level of social integration which I have described above could not have ever taken place without these language skills. None of the foreigners living in my area have fluency in Thai, and I am not aware of any of them who enjoy significant social integration beyond their spouse and her immediate family.

Edited March 22, 2019 by Gecko123

[nausea]

It's what it is. People got this weird idea that Thailand would change for them. Like I'm an expat, and I've spent so many millions of baht here, so I should get special treatment. No, I'm sorry Thailand is Thailand. You're only worth what you can bring to the table, and the man who came yesterday, who doesn't speak Thai, but has full pockets, will blow you away.

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, ThaiBunny said:

Is it true that even the hookers in Miami have pacemakers?

Ddue there are some major hotties in Miami. I knew a girl there (non buisness wise) that gets $1K for 2 hour ST

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

I've been meaning to comment on this post for several days and am glad that the earlier poster resurrected it.

 

Total respect, but you have to acknowledge that your experiences in rural Thailand have to have been heavily influenced by your gender.

 

First, there's the novelty factor. Western women, whether single or involved with a Thai person, are as scarce as hen's teeth in a rural village setting.

 

Second, you probably enjoy more freedom of interaction with Thai women by virtue of your gender, right? And Thai women, in general, are more receptive to foreigners because over the years they have had more interaction with foreigners than the average Thai man.

 

A foreign man living in a village, can't really pursue anything resembling a friendship with a married Thai woman without raising serious eyebrows. A foreign man can't explore a relationship with an unattached woman in a village without tongues starting to cluck. I guess you could say the same restrictions would apply to a foreign woman trying to strike up a friendship with a village man. Fair enough. If I recall correctly, you alluded to having a number of employees, and I am sure that your status as an employer earns you a measure of goodwill too.

 

But with that said, I have to say that the notion that a foreigner immersed in a village is going to enjoy a lasting full embrace by the village community is something of a myth, in my experience. And when I say "my experience" I am not only talking about how I have been received, but my observations on how just about every other foreign man who has lived in my vicinity has been received. That's been about 15 guys over the years.

 

From the earliest days of moving to my village 16 years ago, there were some people who tried to nickel-and-dime me, and saw me as someone who could possibly be taken advantage of. This was maybe 10% - by no means everyone - but it happened enough to keep me on my toes. Mostly nickel-and-dime stuff in stores, but as things progressed over the years, I encountered some serious attempts to steal money, mostly through trickery and deception, some of it land related. One thing which absolutely shocked me to no end was that in order for a number of the schemes to be pulled off, the participation of multiple individuals was required. The willingness of people to play supporting roles in these schemes really shocked me, as did the fact that no one ever tipped me off until well after the fact. Now, most of that settled down pretty quickly, and for the past 10 years there really hasn't been any serious attempt to rip me off.

 

As far as making friends in a village with everyday folk, I'll say this.

 

On a number of occasions, what I initially thought was genuine chemistry between me and another villager eventually turned out to be someone with an ulterior motive, most often someone laying the groundwork to hit me up for a loan, and once the money was loaned, the interest in friendship seemed to fall by the wayside.

 

For example, the poo yai's wife, oh my god, it was wall to wall laughing at my jokes, shooting the s--t, and helpful guidance whenever I had a problem that required the involvement of her husband. I actually thought she had the hots for me. But one morning, she and her husband stopped by the house, and asked me for a loan, and there was definitely a vibe like if you don't lend us the money, we might not be especially helpful in the future if you need our help. So I lent them the money. The promised payback date came and went without any repayment. When months later I wrote them a note asking to be repaid, they did eventually repay me, but the puu yai's wife's interest in shoot the breeze with me was never the same.

 

My next door neighbor was much the same story. Really nice guy, nice wife, three daughters, one had autism, very helpful, we laughed a lot, always greeted one another and often sat and talked in the shade when we took a break from tending our respective gardens. He asked to borrow 3,000 baht, didn't repay it. Mentally forgave the loan, absolutely no problem. Came back a few months later and wanted to borrow 30,000 baht which was a nonstarter. But we still remain friends, and I've gone over to his house dozens of times and talked to either him or his wife. No question the closest friendship I ever formed in my village.

 

There's Mut, age about 50, who tilled our land, and later rented it. Very nice guy. We've exchanged confidences about how he feels about certain other people in the village, and he's educated me a lot about land law and land reform issues. Little bit of political talk. Every member of his family always greets me when they see me.

 

Prayat, about 50 as well, used to be a farmer, now he's a wholesale plaa raa vendor, part time amphoe officer, has thrown in the towel on farming and rents his land out. Nice guy, happy to shoot the s--t whenever I come over, but rarely if ever stops by my house. Tutoring his daughter in English ages ago was how our relationship started.

 

The list of other guys I've befriended would be a lot longer except that so many of them have died: Tiab, Som Chai, Nuk, Jain, and a bunch more casual acquaintances whose names escape me at the moment. Mostly alcohol and drug related deaths. Others have gone to jail for long periods of time, invariably on drug charges, and still others, even though officially still living in the village, have effectively moved away, including my best friend neighbor Laem who started driving truck at a cement factory outside Saraburi. So the premature death, incarceration and migration to urban areas for work are all factors which affect a foreign guy's ability to bond with village men.

 

The bottom line is that while I have found interactions with villagers to be affable enough, it is far from being one big happy family, and to say that a foreigner who puts in a modest effort will be embraced in short order as a full fledged member of the community is misleading at best.

 

Just for the record, I studied Thai intensively for 9 years before moving here. I can speak, read, write, and (at one time) touchtype Thai. The level of social integration which I have described above could not have ever taken place without these language skills. None of the foreigners living in my area have fluency in Thai, and I am not aware of any of them who enjoy significant social integration beyond their spouse and her immediate family.

 

My gender certainly enables me better access to village women, that is true.

 

But I don't think it would account for the fact that not once, in 22 years here, have any of the locals tried to rip me off or get money from me , except for contractors (who were not from immediately in this village and in any case I think we can all agree contractors are actually a species of evil aliens sent to earth to take over by driving home owners insane...and they do the same to the Thais).  

 

In fact, I have to use great tact and discretion when I want to help someone out a little financially as it hurts their pride. And I respect that, good for them. For example, the lady who runs the clothes washing service that I us has a really hard time, which I know. She is very proud and will never ask anyone outside her family for help. The laundry operates on an honor system, she doesn't count the piecese, the customer does and pays accordingly. So I always round up a little bit but we both pretend like that's not happening.

 

Times when I have done people even small (non-monetary) favors, I have been deluged with fruit, flowers from their gardens etc in thanks.

 

Village chief had to travel to the ampur office (about 50 km r/t, and counting time there took him more than half a day) to help out on a tabian ban issue. Asked for nothing from me, not even gas money. I brought a fruit basket to him as thanks and that was that.

 

The only Thai I employ is 1 lady for 1 hour a day to help with the cleaning. Gardner/handyman is Cambodian.

 

Only once (knock on wood) did I have any sort of issue with a neighbor. I enlisted the aid of another Thai neighbor to mediate and it was peacefully sorted out. No money involved.

 

Perhaps I am unusually lucky in my neighbors/village...and perhaps you are unusually unlucky. Point  is, we are both living in Thailand. What you describe is not universal.

[Gecko123]

36 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Perhaps I am unusually lucky in my neighbors/village...and perhaps you are unusually unlucky. Point  is, we are both living in Thailand. What you describe is not universal.

I don't consider myself to be unusually unlucky. I see myself as a survivor and can point to many examples of guys who have fared far worse (losing houses, motor vehicle accidents, suicides and premature deaths, penury.) If you tell me that none of the foreign men in your area ever experienced such things, or enjoy richer rural social integration that what I described in my post, can you tell me or PM me the name of the province you live in?

Edited March 22, 2019 by Gecko123

[Skallywag]

5 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Let's just say your forensic linquist skills left me underwhelmed.

 

That approach might work and may even be advisable for a tourist, but when you live here long term, respect can't just be a one-way street.

 

Thank you for that. A very helpful and useful reminder which I will try and keep in mind going forward.

 

Same to you, and thank you for your well-intentioned and thoughtful post.

 

Yes, my forensic linguist skills were based on total guesses - not helpful - sorry about that sir

 

[Sheryl]

There are no foreign men here. Infact I'm the only foreigner in the entire district AFAIK and precious few anywhere else in the province.

Which is not unrelated to the positive atmosphere.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Leaver]

7 hours ago, ravip said:

The Thai economy is not doing to well, so what do they do here, extort money out of farang, en masse. 

You mean to say Thailand is running entirely on extorted money out of farang, en masse?

You are sadly mistaken as are the followers you have. Really, are majority of farangs have your mentality? It is disgusting, to say the least!

Show me where I said "Thailand is running entirely on extorted money out of farang." Those are your words, not mine.

 

Can't you see the connection between changing the visa rules, and capitalizing Thai banks, thus, the Thai economy?

 

What a huge, and ongoing, cash injection it is to the Thai banking system, therefore the Thai economy, to force people into bringing in 800k, and basically not being able to spend 400k of it, ever.  It's a cheap cheap cheap farang loan to the Thai banks.

 

You seem quite naive to this.  Think about it. 

[FruitPudding]

I can relate.

 

I am only in my 30s, living in Isaan. But in 10 years, when my child is 18, I expect to move to Bangkok or elswhere in Thailand or abroad (especially if my child leaves home) cos there won't be anything left for me here if she leaves.

Edited March 22, 2019 by FruitPudding

[Leaver]

1 minute ago, FruitPudding said:

I can relate.

 

I am only in my 30s, living in Isaan. But in 10 years, when ny child is 18, I expect to move to Bangkok or elswhere in Thaliand or abroad (especially if my child leaves home) cos there won't be anything left for me here if she leaves.

What visa are you on?

[marcusarelus]

14 minutes ago, Leaver said:

Show me where I said "Thailand is running entirely on extorted money out of farang." Those are your words, not mine.

 

Can't you see the connection between changing the visa rules, and capitalizing Thai banks, thus, the Thai economy?

 

What a huge, and ongoing, cash injection it is to the Thai banking system, therefore the Thai economy, to force people into bringing in 800k, and basically not being able to spend 400k of it, ever.  It's a cheap cheap cheap farang loan to the Thai banks.

 

You seem quite naive to this.  Think about it. 

So how much is that? 

https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/thailand/total-deposits

 

[Leaver]

7 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

So how much is that? 

https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/thailand/total-deposits

 

Thanks.

 

First line of your link.

 

"Thailand’s Total Deposits was reported at 423.012 USD bn in May 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 432.303 USD bn for Apr 2018." 

 

I guess the Thai government could see the direction it was going and decided to do something to turn a decrease into an increase, and how did they do that, make farang pay more to be here.

 

Easy fix. 

[marcusarelus]

27 minutes ago, Leaver said:

Thanks.

 

First line of your link.

 

"Thailand’s Total Deposits was reported at 423.012 USD bn in May 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 432.303 USD bn for Apr 2018." 

 

I guess the Thai government could see the direction it was going and decided to do something to turn a decrease into an increase, and how did they do that, make farang pay more to be here.

 

Easy fix. 

Since half of the expats are leaving how do you figure that helps?  And how much money do the expats put into the Thai banking system?  Might as well admit you don't have a clue. 

[ravip]

2 hours ago, Leaver said:

Show me where I said "Thailand is running entirely on extorted money out of farang." Those are your words, not mine.

 

Can't you see the connection between changing the visa rules, and capitalizing Thai banks, thus, the Thai economy?

 

What a huge, and ongoing, cash injection it is to the Thai banking system, therefore the Thai economy, to force people into bringing in 800k, and basically not being able to spend 400k of it, ever.  It's a cheap cheap cheap farang loan to the Thai banks.

 

You seem quite naive to this.  Think about it. 

It's a cheap cheap cheap farang loan to the Thai banks.

No. Like many here had suggested, leave Thailand. Would the economy collapse?

 

Edit

Yes, I am very naive about the pattern of thinking of some aliens.

Edited March 22, 2019 by ravip

[Jingthing]

Barefaced was earlier AND its the English version - which given the americans were late to the English speaking party and are slowly destroying it (Math for fecks sake) - means the case is closed. Its barefaced lie.

We're bigger.
Ba-bye.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[rumak]

6 hours ago, Sheryl said:

There are no foreign men here. Infact I'm the only foreigner in the entire district AFAIK and precious few anywhere else in the province.

Which is not unrelated to the positive atmosphere.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

well, you are making that assumption.    don't worry........  I also make the same assumption concerning my

positive feedback from the locals.   

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, Benroon said:

All you have provided is evidence of a serious case of paranoia. Get help !

If people really are out to get me, am I still paranoid?

[Jingthing]

26 minutes ago, Benroon said:

mouths maybe

 

We even had to find your country for you to live in !

I'll let that inanity pass for now considering the Brexit stress your dear heart must be under. 

I find British hostility to Americans quaint. Americans don't return the favor. We could care less. 

Quote

4 Good Reasons Why People Say “I Could Care Less”

https://mentalfloss.com/article/55388/4-good-reasons-why-people-say-i-could-care-less

Edited March 22, 2019 by Jingthing

[DogNo1]

Let's not forget that the Dutch, the French and the Spanish also played a role in the colonizing of America.  Personally, I'm an Anglophile and like reading about the history of Britain.  The history of France and Britain are wound together in interesting ways.  My understanding is that Britain was rather poor but grew rich from the booty of the privateers who stole a huge amount from Spanish ships and settlements.  Check out the histories of Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh who were actually pirates licensed as privateers by Elizabeth I.

[marcusarelus]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

If people really are out to get me, am I still paranoid?

When I lived in Vietnam every morning I'd go out to a labor pool area and hire 250 day laborers, all women.  I could tell some gave me the evil eye.  I was right too as they occasionally tried to blow me   ....... up.

[Gecko123]

I don't subscribe to the theory that the changes to the retirement visa's financial requirements are part of a vast conspiracy to capitalize Thailand's banking system at the expense of expats. While the banks will probably benefit from having this money on deposit for longer periods of time, I don't think this was a driving motivation behind these changes. 

 

I also don't believe that people who have a strong emotional reaction when Thailand is criticized are doing so because they have a financial stake which might be threatened. Most people who have tourism related investments here are dependent on tourists rather than long-stay expats. If you start badmouthing the condo market in a specific area like Pattaya or Hua Hin, yes, someone who has their condo up for sale or is a real estate agent is probably going to pipe up defensively to defend the market, but posts questioning the liveability or desirability of Thailand as a retirement destination in general don't really elicit that type of reaction. The reasons such posts do generate such a strong emotional reaction are varied. Here are some which I have identified. I am sure there are others.

 

To start, I suppose there are many people who are genuinely happy living here - at least at the moment - who assume when anyone isn't perfectly content here, the problem must lie with them, not Thailand.

 

There are those who have moved here recently, or are committed to moving here in the near future, who view anything negative as detracting from their understandable desire to be open and receptive to all that their new home has to offer. Being negative just isn't something they want to hear. You're just another 'Debbie downer, bummin' their trip.'

 

But on the other hand, there's no shortage of people posturing on this forum either. People pretending to be leading perfect lives when there are many clues to suggest that this is not the case. Married to their established forum personas, they never confess to any frustration or discontent while claiming to be perfectly well-adjusted. People living in undisclosed location utopian paradises free from the problems which so often plague the expat vermin classes. No pollution, soi dogs, annoying beach vendors, no erratic electricity or water supply, droughts or floods, prosperity reigns, farmers drive around in Mercedes and BMWs. An easy way to pretend everything's perfect is to reject or attack any suggestion that they may not be.

 

There are also those who through either lack of desire, lack of language skills, or lack of time interact with Thais on such a superficial level that they are unable to accurately assess the true disposition or attitude of the Thais around them. For these individuals, interactions with Thais are largely limited to non-verbal transactional exchanges with waitresses, front desk clerks, sales clerks, taxi drivers, shopkeepers, beach vendors, 7-11 counter staff. Keep a mental tally of what percentage of your interactions with Thais involve purchasing something, and you will see what I mean by this. It's difficult to know what's going on based on this level of interaction alone.

 

Finally, there are many forum members who are largely unaffected by the recent changes to the retirement visa financial requirements or the TM-30 reporting requirements. Those on marriage visas and short term visas are completely unaffected by the retirement visa's new financial requirements. And, those on short term visas, staying in hotels and guest houses don't have to worry about the TM-30 reporting requirement. Many who aren't directly affected by these changes seem to have taken the attitude that all this is much ado about nothing even though it has caused hardship in some quarters. I guess it's sort of understandable, even if the lack of solidarity within the expat community is pretty disappointing.

Edited March 23, 2019 by Gecko123

[Nyezhov]

46 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

No pollution, soi dogs, annoying beach vendors, no erratic electricity or water supply, droughts or floods, prosperity reigns, farmers drive around in Mercedes and BMWs.

wheres that at dude? Those dogs annoy me. And are the sidewalks not broken there? Sign me up.

[marcusarelus]

6 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I guess it's sort of understandable, even if the lack of solidarity within the expat community is pretty disappointing.

I identify more with Soi Dogs than the expat community.  1.  Teachers - yuck.  2.  Drunks - yuk.  3.  Sexpats - yuk. 4. Backpackers - yuk.  5.  Airy fairy foodies and temple tinkers - yuk. 6.  Doo gooders and NGO's - yuk.  7.  Green Berets and SAS guys - yuk.  8. Tourists - yuk.  9. Rig Pigs - Yuk.  10.  Digital Nomads - Yuk.  

 

I could go on buy why would you think anyone would identify with expats in Thailand? 

[CharlieH]

Inflammatory remark removed.