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

[Jingthing]

39 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

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? 

Expats vs. soi dogs?
 

At least expats don't have rabies.

 

(Well, usually.) 

 

[mauGR1]

34 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I identify more with Soi Dogs than the expat community. 

That's quite a confession, are you sure of that ?

..Well, you said that you never lie, so it must be true.

[Captain 776]

If a TM-30 broke the poor Camels back, you are extremely fragile.

I got one in 2015 or 16 and used the same one every time I renewed or did a 90 day report........and right now its not even required anymore..........so come back to reality........or maybe after 16 yrs its time for a location change.

 

My initial retirement plan was to be in the Carribean somewhere running a private yacht or fishing charters a few days a week.

My career was Oil n Gas but have also carried a 500 Ton Captain License since 1996.

My last 15 yrs working were all spent in Aystralia, Africa, and China and I landed in Thailand in 2006.

Some days I fantasize about cutting ties here and head to Carribean for my remaining years but dread the logistics of actually doing it.

When you are drawn to the ocean........the pull is strong.

I may have been a fish in my previous life.

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, mauGR1 said:

That's quite a confession, are you sure of that ?

..Well, you said that you never lie, so it must be true.

It's not a confession, I'm a recluse. 

[mauGR1]

3 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

It's not a confession, I'm a recluse. 

That's not a bad choice, if it's a choice, but why compare yourself to soi dogs..

[marcusarelus]

11 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

That's not a bad choice, if it's a choice, but why compare yourself to soi dogs..

I rescue them and they are grateful and loyal.  So am I.  Thailand rescued me and I'm grateful and loyal. 

[Mansell]

On March 19, 2019 at 8:52 PM, BritManToo said:

How interesting they are would be a relative judgement.

 

Example: There is a lady here in Korat who sells organic veggies and juices.....lovely lady. Originally from Laos, her family moved to France when she was seven but didn't like the place, so they moved to a Greek island. So she lived there until she was in her late twenties, and then moved to Thailand. She speaks Laos, Greek, English, and Thai. One of the more interesting People I have met here......relative judgement.....I don't think so.

[BritManToo]

Just now, Mansell said:

Example: There is a lady here in Korat who sells organic veggies and juices.....lovely lady. Originally from Laos, her family moved to France when she was seven but didn't like the place, so they moved to a Greek island. So she lived there until she was in her late twenties, and then moved to Thailand. She speaks Laos, Greek, English, and Thai. One of the more interesting People I have met here......relative judgement.....I don't think so.

I don't view women as socially worthwhile unless they are young slim and available.

So my relative judgement would be 'not interesting'.

[Drax]

On 3/22/2019 at 4:13 PM, Gecko123 said:

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?

1. Don’t drive if your in Bangkok. Reduces your death rate already

2. Drink moderately and avoid living on high floors. Reduces your death rate further

3. Do not ever buy a car or house to your gf or wife. Mine keeps asking. If I do that rip me. 

4. So not marry anyone who isn’t financially wise. If you see they always spend their salary and don’t save think of it as a huge flag. 

 

Tbh I should break up with my gf lol. She’s obviously trying to screw me up. My first gf her parents wanted to build me a house for free on their city, and bought me a motorbike which I had to turn down, and we used to go on family trips together and never ever asked me for money that’s how thai people are like to other thai. What I learned is that if thai people are serious about you they won’t ask you to buy houses for them etc but instead will work together for it similar to how thai couples do. 

 

From my my experience arround 70%+ girls dating forgeiners have second intentions and trying to steal us, but there’s still good ones out there.

 

thats my experience as a guy on his 20s who’s been here 4 years. Resuming don’t fall for the bullshit that u gotta follow thai culture because your in Thailand. Even most young thai people themselves follow western way nowadays between themselves. It’s just an excuse to rip you off. 

 

The only times you should follow thai culture is when it comes to face and respect as this is their country. 

[Leaver]

On 3/23/2019 at 6:00 PM, marcusarelus said:

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? 

But have the Soi dogs accepted you in their "pack?"  After all, you are "farang."  ????

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, Leaver said:

But have the Soi dogs accepted you in their "pack?"  After all, you are "farang."  ????

Yes.  A lady dog with 4 pups comes to greet me every morning and is the sweetest animal.  She carries bags of food that I give her back to her pups and feeds them before she eats.  Another guards my house with the loyalty of a brother and takes care of me when any dangerous snakes or scorpions come to call. 

[Nsp64]

On 3/24/2019 at 3:03 PM, Drax said:

1. Don’t drive if your in Bangkok. Reduces your death rate already

2. Drink moderately and avoid living on high floors. Reduces your death rate further

3. Do not ever buy a car or house to your gf or wife. Mine keeps asking. If I do that rip me. 

4. So not marry anyone who isn’t financially wise. If you see they always spend their salary and don’t save think of it as a huge flag. 

 

Tbh I should break up with my gf lol. She’s obviously trying to screw me up. My first gf her parents wanted to build me a house for free on their city, and bought me a motorbike which I had to turn down, and we used to go on family trips together and never ever asked me for money that’s how thai people are like to other thai. What I learned is that if thai people are serious about you they won’t ask you to buy houses for them etc but instead will work together for it similar to how thai couples do. 

 

From my my experience arround 70%+ girls dating forgeiners have second intentions and trying to steal us, but there’s still good ones out there.

 

thats my experience as a guy on his 20s who’s been here 4 years. Resuming don’t fall for the bullshit that u gotta follow thai culture because your in Thailand. Even most young thai people themselves follow western way nowadays between themselves. It’s just an excuse to rip you off. 

 

The only times you should follow thai culture is when it comes to face and respect as this is their country. 

Their country? Really?

Totally dependant on foreign income. 

No foreigners means no income.

Their country?,,

Really ???

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, Nsp64 said:

Their country? Really?

Totally dependant on foreign income. 

No foreigners means no income.

Their country?,,

Really ???

How much of Thailand income actually comes from foreigners ?

[marcusarelus]

20 minutes ago, Nsp64 said:

Their country? Really?

Totally dependant on foreign income. 

No foreigners means no income.

Their country?,,

Really ???

Foreign Direct Investment in Thailand averaged 20685.19 THB Million from 1997 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 125800.99 THB Million in December of 2013 and a record low of -95430.07 THB Million in June of 2013.

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/foreign-direct-investment

 

Thailand trade surplus soared to USD 4.03 billion in February 2019 from USD 0.88 billion in the same month a year earlier

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/balance-of-trade

 

Might be an idea to do a bit of research before posting. 

 

[Nsp64]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Foreign Direct Investment in Thailand averaged 20685.19 THB Million from 1997 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 125800.99 THB Million in December of 2013 and a record low of -95430.07 THB Million in June of 2013.

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/foreign-direct-investment

 

Thailand trade surplus soared to USD 4.03 billion in February 2019 from USD 0.88 billion in the same month a year earlier

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/balance-of-trade

 

Might be an idea to do a bit of research before posting. 

 

Wander around any essan village and see where the money is located.  . . . Grass roots money is farang.

And this doesn't feature on a fiscal balance sheet 

[marcusarelus]

8 hours ago, Nsp64 said:

Wander around any essan village and see where the money is located.  . . . Grass roots money is farang.

And this doesn't feature on a fiscal balance sheet 

Too small a number to be of importance.  Wander around any industrial estate to see how the money is made. 

[Berkshire]

17 hours ago, Nsp64 said:

Their country? Really?

Totally dependant on foreign income. 

No foreigners means no income.

Their country?,,

Really ???

You really have no idea what you're talking about, do you? 

[Gecko123]

I would just like to take a moment to thank all those who made constructive contributions to this thread. The advice about taking a break from one'a current circumstances, perhaps taking a trip to put things in perspective were appreciated. The advice regarding the timing of social security enrollment and cautions against waiting too long before relocating were very helpful, as were the comments about renting vs buying. Suggestions about relocating to specific cities within Thailand, elsewhere in SE Asia, or abroad were noted and will be fully considered. The thoughtful reminders about how perspectives change as we get older were also timely and very much appreciated.

[Leaver]

22 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Yes.  A lady dog with 4 pups comes to greet me every morning and is the sweetest animal.  She carries bags of food that I give her back to her pups and feeds them before she eats.  Another guards my house with the loyalty of a brother and takes care of me when any dangerous snakes or scorpions come to call. 

Guards your house with the loyalty of a brother, or with her "brother?"  ????

 

Do you think you are more Thai than the next farang?   

[Leaver]

21 hours ago, sanemax said:

How much of Thailand income actually comes from foreigners ?

The tourism industry is a big employer in Thailand, and is well represented in Thailand's GDP.

 

This doesn't even take into account those working in the cash economy within the tourism industry. Eg. hookers.

 

 

[Leaver]

12 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Too small a number to be of importance.  Wander around any industrial estate to see how the money is made. 

And what percentage of the Thai population owns even 1 share of a public listed company, like that in your photo????

[Leaver]

2 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I would just like to take a moment to thank all those who made constructive contributions to this thread. The advice about taking a break from one'a current circumstances, perhaps taking a trip to put things in perspective were appreciated. The advice regarding the timing of social security enrollment and cautions against waiting too long before relocating were very helpful, as were the comments about renting vs buying. Suggestions about relocating to specific cities within Thailand, elsewhere in SE Asia, or abroad were noted and will be fully considered. The thoughtful reminders about how perspectives change as we get older were also timely and very much appreciated.

So, what conclusions have you made, and what is your decision?

 

[Gecko123]

People have on occasion derided those who sometimes talk about returning home but never follow thru on their threats. Some of that may be justified. But I would like to point out that in the past 15 years there has been so much global macroeconomic upheaval that the decision making process about whether to repatriate or not has become exponentially more complex than in past times. In the interim, the goal posts back home have moved in ways that would have been difficult for anyone to predict.

 

Just consider the impact quantitative easing has had in the past 15 years on those on a fixed income. In the early 2000's, interest rates were in the 6-7% range. For the past 10 years they've been in the .25% to 2% range, dramatically cutting into the return on retirement nest eggs. At the same time, housing prices went through the roof because low interest rates spurred demand and made real estate a more attractive asset class. So not only have returns on nest eggs been slashed, housing prices in the West have increased at what many believe is an unsustainable pace.

 

Another factor which may be giving pause to those who would otherwise choose to relocate is that the fiscal problems in the West (national debt, deficits, unfunded entitlement programs, etc.) have to be factored in when weighing the advisability of repatriation. If there were no worries about social security benefits being cut, I am pretty sure there would be more people carrying through on their relocation plans.

 

What I'm saying is that while its of course true things change everywhere, and no one can say for certain what the future holds, the magnitude of the financial events of the past 15 years have been greater and less predictable than in just about any other period of time in my lifetime. There are more variables which need to be factored into the decision to relocate than are immediately apparent, and because of this, I think those debating the issue of repatriation should be shown more latitude. Also, the older one gets, the riskier such decisions become because you have fewer options and less time to recover if you make a mistake. These are complex decisions which require time to think through and benefit from group discussion.

 

 

[Leaver]

22 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

People have on occasion derided those who sometimes talk about returning home but never follow thru on their threats. Some of that may be justified. But I would like to point out that in the past 15 years there has been so much global macroeconomic upheaval that the decision making process about whether to repatriate or not has become exponentially more complex than in past times. In the interim, the goal posts back home have moved in ways that would have been difficult for anyone to predict.

 

Just consider the impact quantitative easing has had in the past 15 years on those on a fixed income. In the early 2000's, interest rates were in the 6-7% range. For the past 10 years they've been in the .25% to 2% range, dramatically cutting into the return on retirement nest eggs. At the same time, housing prices went through the roof because low interest rates spurred demand and made real estate a more attractive asset class. So not only have returns on nest eggs been slashed, housing prices in the West have increased at what many believe is an unsustainable pace.

 

Another factor which may be giving pause to those who would otherwise choose to relocate is that the fiscal problems in the West (national debt, deficits, unfunded entitlement programs, etc.) have to be factored in when weighing the advisability of repatriation. If there were no worries about social security benefits being cut, I am pretty sure there would be more people carrying through on their relocation plans.

 

What I'm saying is that while its of course true things change everywhere, and no one can say for certain what the future holds, the magnitude of the financial events of the past 15 years have been greater and less predictable than in just about any other period of time in my lifetime. There are more variables which need to be factored into the decision to relocate than are immediately apparent, and because of this, I think those debating the issue of repatriation should be shown more latitude. Also, the older one gets, the riskier such decisions become because you have fewer options and less time to recover if you make a mistake. These are complex decisions which require time to think through and benefit from group discussion.

 

 

No need to repatriate.

 

There are countries nearby offering a similar lifestyle to Thailand, at better value for money, but without all the BS. 

[marcusarelus]

42 minutes ago, Leaver said:

No need to repatriate.

 

There are countries nearby offering a similar lifestyle to Thailand, at better value for money, but without all the BS. 

Singapore or Penang have the only health care infrastrucure the same as Thailand but both of those are many times more expensive for a retirement option.  My only other choice is USA.  Latin America is for armed thugs and I'm not there anymore after my gun permits all ran out.  I am obviously only referring to my self (old American military vet).  I'm boring.  Far more interesting in my opinion are the guys who have been getting ready to leave for 10 years. 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, marcusarelus said:

Singapore or Penang have the only health care infrastrucure the same as Thailand but both of those are many times more for a retirement option.  My only other choice is USA.  Latin America is for armed thugs and I'm not there anymore after my gun permits all ran out. 

Yeah, sure. The entirety of Latin America is for armed thugs. That's the ticket. Similar to how so many ignorant people think the entirety of Thailand is for go go bars and soapy massages. 

[marcusarelus]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah, sure. The entirety of Latin America is for armed thugs. That's the ticket. Similar to how so many ignorant people think the entirety of Thailand is for go go bars and soapy massages. 

LOL.  Mexico: Where More Americans Are Murdered Than In All Other Foreign Countries Combined. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/garystoller/2018/02/21/mexico-where-more-americans-are-murdered-than-in-all-other-countries-combined/#718b0237de37

 

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

LOL.  Mexico: Where More Americans Are Murdered Than In All Other Foreign Countries Combined. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/garystoller/2018/02/21/mexico-where-more-americans-are-murdered-than-in-all-other-countries-combined/#718b0237de37

 

That's a cheap distortion. Mexico is where the most Americans live if abroad (by far) so OF COURSE that's where most Americans would be murdered (or anything else). Also, since when is Mexico all of Latin America? Also, your risk depends on SPECIFCIALLY where you live or visit in Mexico (or elsewhere in Latin America). Of course security is a concern but the picture you're painting is completely wrong. Now if you said something like Tijuana has a shockingly high murder rate, that would be specific and true. St. Louis Missouri ain't exactly a piece of cake in the murder department either. 

 

 

[marcusarelus]

13 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

That's a cheap distortion. Mexico is where the most Americans live if abroad so OF COURSE that's where most Americans would be murdered (or anything else). Also, since when is Mexico all of Latin America? Also, your risk depends on where you live or visit in Mexico (or elsewhere in Latin America). I just can't stomach ignorant over generalizing fear mongering propaganda. Of course security is a concern but the picture you're painting is completely wrong. Now if you said something like Tijuana has a shockingly high murder rate, that would be specific and true. St. Louis Missouri ain't exactly a piece of cake in the murder department either. 

 

 

There is a reason for millions of people trying to cross the border from Mexico to America.  It's cause South America is not safe. The only alternatives I see around here because of health care are Penang or Singapore and they are too expensive.  For me - It's Thailand or USA.  As a US citizen or Canadian I'd have to be nuts not to pick America over Latin America (health care and cost of living).  Thailand's a good deal.  Cheap and I have family and language and health care here.  BJ would have to realty go loco to drive me out but it could happen so I am prepared to move back to the States. I've a lot of Mexican friends in Texas and they don't live in Mexico because it's too dangerous.  

[Jingthing]

41 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

There is a reason for millions of people trying to cross the border from Mexico to America.  It's cause South America is not safe. The only alternatives I see around here because of health care are Penang or Singapore and they are too expensive.  For me - It's Thailand or USA.  As a US citizen or Canadian I'd have to be nuts not to pick America over Latin America (health care and cost of living).  Thailand's a good deal.  Cheap and I have family and language and health care here.  BJ would have to realty go loco to drive me out but it could happen so I am prepared to move back to the States. I've a lot of Mexican friends in Texas and they don't live in Mexico because it's too dangerous.  

Mexico is a country in Latin America. Mexico does not equal Latin America.

Border crossings from Mexico are largely Central Americans and also of course North Americans (Mexicans).

Not South Americans. 

Motivations are largely economic migration and also literal refugees such as from some Central American nations.

It's a two way street.

Well over a million Americans live in Mexico, and yes, many of them are not legal (ironic, huh?). 

 

https://www.vallartadaily.com/study-nearly-one-million-undocumented-americans-live-in-mexico/

 

If you're happy with Thailand, be happy.

No need to try to justify your choice by painting an entire massive region in such a negative way just because it doesn't appeal to you or make sense to you as a realistic expatriation option for you.