Repatriation and Insight

[CaptainJack]

Hi!

 

I am fulfilling a promise I made to several members on TV after I decided it was best for me to leave Thailand to let them know how things are with me.  I'm dropping this message here because of the visa information I came across.   The moderator can move it elsewhere if needed.

 

First, thanks for all the support many of you gave me.  I did try to take a stab at living in Mexico.  It was not for me. The language challenges were way harder then I expected. One month was enough for me to finally accept I needed to be back in the USA. 

 

My total time away from my home country was 13 months.  I got back Monday a week ago.  Bought a used car and I'm going to do some camping in the mountains in Colorado before renting an apartment and buying furniture.   

 

Yes, it is expensive to come back, but as I said, the right decision for me. 

 

I'm staying with my only family for a few weeks, my brother from another mother. I am lucky to have him and his wife to put me up as I go about the logistics of coming back to Austin. 

 

There are two articles that I came across that I think are interesting enough to share.  And, that is about it.  I keep in touch via WhatsApp and Line with my farrang and Thai friends.  I hope those friendships will stand the test of time.

 

That's it.  Good luck and keep smiling.   

 

I'll post the two articles separately.  And, I'll check in occasionally.  I ended up with some friends here on TV.  Imagine that....

 

CJ

 

PS. My new (2011 Subaru Outback). Nice. I got it for a really good price. 

Edited April 15, 2019 by CaptainJack
Better wording.

[CaptainJack]

I came across this as I was looking at visa issues.  I think this explains a lot.  This was from 2016. Oh, I don't know why, but this link for some reason has to be copied and opened separately.   Maybe an issue with the redirection?

 

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/03/expats-thailand/

Edited April 15, 2019 by CaptainJack
Better wording.

[CaptainJack]

And this was in this morning's news feed on Google.   Seems this is becoming the norm everywhere. 

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-visas-insight/denials-of-us-immigrant-visas-skyrocket-after-little-heralded-rule-change-idUSKCN1RR0UX

[Inn Between]

Well, best of luck. Have fun, and give my love to "The Donald" if you see him.

 

(Okay, to be honest, I was only sincere about the fun and luck -- not Donald. But I really have nothing against the man, even though he's an a**hole.)  

[madmen]

1 hour ago, CaptainJack said:

I came across this as I was looking at visa issues.  I think this explains a lot.  This was from 2016. Oh, I don't know why, but this link for some reason has to be copied and opened separately.   Maybe an issue with the redirection?

 

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/03/expats-thailand/

Nothing really new there its just cut n paste from Thai Visa . Easiest way to get info for a paid article 

[GinBoy2]

2 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

And this was in this morning's news feed on Google.   Seems this is becoming the norm everywhere. 

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-visas-insight/denials-of-us-immigrant-visas-skyrocket-after-little-heralded-rule-change-idUSKCN1RR0UX

What I would say is don't confuse general immigrant visas, for those immigrant visas for the spouse of a US national.

 

By law, and until Congress changes that you can always bring your spouse, male or female into the country with a green card, assuming they are not a master criminal, or convicted of drug or prostitution crimes.

 

The US national has to prove that they have the means to support them for 2 years, you have to provide tax transcripts and sign an affidavit to that effect.

 

I'm not sure much has changed, but maybe they are just enforcing it more, which in the Trump era is highly likely

 

But congrats on making a successful move home.

 

Have a great vacation in CO, get your head back together before you figure out what to do in Austin

Edited April 15, 2019 by GinBoy2

[glegolo]

Hmm..... 13 months outside the USA, whereof 12 in Thailand. Is that really to move. Nothing will falls into place in that short time period. You are just in the moving-phase stillafter 12 month....

 

And langauage problem with spanish, you come from texas (halv-spanish) you can read the letters they are using in Mexico..... I think it was just too much to move outside the US for some people....

 

You have to be patient and give it time... adapting is not something that comes via the mail or something thatm you can buy, Adapting is patience.

 

Good luck back home, you are probably at the right place and should never have left the motherland...

 

glegolo

[lkv]

57 minutes ago, glegolo said:

Good luck back home, you are probably at the right place and should never have left the motherland...

I agree with the first part but not the second. 

 

I left Bangkok (i.e cancelled my apartment). Been in Europe since the beginning of March. 

 

I feel bored here.

 

Guess what happens next month. Back to Bangkok, although it will be a short stay only, part of a larger itinerary around Asia.

 

I don't feel the urge to come back to Thailand, but I do want to spend more time in Asia.

 

With all the bads, I do not regret the time spent in Bangkok, and if things should become less nationalistic in the future, I may call it home again. ????

Edited April 15, 2019 by lkv

[GinBoy2]

14 minutes ago, lkv said:

I agree with the first part but not the second. 

 

I left Bangkok (i.e cancelled my apartment). Been in Europe since the beginning of March. 

 

Guess what happens next month. Back to Bangkok, although it will be a short stay only, part of a larger itinerary around SE Asia.

 

I don't feel the urge to come back to Thailand, but I do want to spend more time in Asia.

 

With all the bads, I do not regret the time spent in Bangkok, and if things should become less nationalistic in the future, I may call it home again. ????

I think what a lot of TVF fails to recognize, is that a lot of us we don't hate the place when we leave, it's just not right for us full time any more.

 

The longer you live in Thailand you can go full circle.

Those irritants you used to put up with, and just shrug your shoulders and roll your eyes, can just irritate the sh&&t outta you as the years go by. 

That's when you know it's time to go back to being a tourist

Edited April 15, 2019 by GinBoy2

[ThaiBunny]

6 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

I think what a lot of TVF fails to recognize, is that a lot of us we don't hate the place when we leave, it's just not right for us full time any more.

 

The longer you live in Thailand you can go full circle.

Those irritants you used to put up with, and just shrug your shoulders and roll your eyes, can just irritate the sh&&t outta you as the years go by. 

That's when you know it's time to go back to being a tourist

And that's why extensions are only ever annual, right? The Thais knew all along you wouldn't be staying ????

[lkv]

2 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

And that's why extensions are only ever annual, right? The Thais knew all along you wouldn't be staying ????

That's one way to look at it. The other one would be that, you are always a foreigner no matter what, and they don't want to integrate you ????

[baansgr]

4 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

And that's why extensions are only ever annual, right? The Thais knew all along you wouldn't be staying ????

Maybe with residency and less visa crap people would stay

[GinBoy2]

10 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

And that's why extensions are only ever annual, right? The Thais knew all along you wouldn't be staying ????

Thing is they could have given me permanent residency just like my wife has in the US.

 

Wouldn't however have changed my reasons for leaving at the end of the day, but certainly would have made the whole process less irritating.

 

10 years of annual extensions, 90 day reports for 10 years, and having to keep ฿800K in the bank, earning basically next to nothing didn't help.

 

For us it was at the end of the day, kids that broke the camel's back.

 

Thai son told Mom he wasn't coming home after college in Chicago.

 

Then all those irritants just stacked up and the game was over

Edited April 15, 2019 by GinBoy2

[lkv]

5 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Thai son told Mom he wasn't coming home after college in Chicago.

 

All the Thais I know that lived outside of Thailand for a while, would say the same. They do not wish to live in Thailand.

 

I don't know why we are hooked up. ????

Edited April 15, 2019 by lkv

[keemapoot]

10 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Thing is they could have given me permanent residency just like my wife has in the US.

 

Wouldn't however have changed my reasons for leaving at the end of the day, but certainly would have made the whole process less irritating.

 

10 years of annual extensions, 90 day reports for 10 years, and having to keep ฿800K in the bank, earning basically next to nothing didn't help.

 

For us it was at the end of the day, kids that broke the camel's back.

 

Thai son told Mom he wasn't coming home after college in Chicago.

 

Then all those irritants just stacked up and the game was over

I admit that things in Thailand have changed a bit. However, the fundamentals are still there, and for those who can afford it and don't want to be tethered to just one spot, spending time in both home country and Thailand each year still makes some sense, and avoids the stringent extension of visa problems.

[lkv]

2 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

However, the fundamentals are still there

And what are those from your perspective?

[keemapoot]

Just now, lkv said:

And what are those from your perspective?

All the reasons to live in Thailand that made sense in the first place. Sure, there have been some changes as the country moves to the next level of development, and with its political issues, but assuming you have made a good life in Thailand, there is nothing that has changed radically for those who are established.

[GinBoy2]

7 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

I admit that things in Thailand have changed a bit. However, the fundamentals are still there, and for those who can afford it and don't want to be tethered to just one spot, spending time in both home country and Thailand each year still makes some sense, and avoids the stringent extension of visa problems.

Yeah you are right, a lot of it depends on resources.

 

I always kept a house in the US which I rented out.

 

We try to do the snowbird thing for 2-3 months a year back to our house in Thailand.

 

Nice thing is there is pretty good short term furnished rental market here. 

 

So we stick everything personal in a spare bedroom, I fit a deadbolt and the agent rents it for me while we are away in Thailand

Edited April 15, 2019 by GinBoy2

[lkv]

3 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

All the reasons to live in Thailand that made sense in the first place. Sure, there have been some changes as the country moves to the next level of development, and with its political issues, but assuming you have made a good life in Thailand, there is nothing that has changed radically for those who are established.

Started to go downhill in 2014. Until then, it was all a fairy tale (for me at least, being a "resident" since 2011).

 

Others that have stayed longer may share different views.

Edited April 15, 2019 by lkv

[brokenbone]

for me it dont make much difference where i live,

i spend the same amount of money and live the same,

only difference is freezing vs low quality

[CaptainJack]

3 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

What I would say is don't confuse general immigrant visas, for those immigrant visas for the spouse of a US national.

 

By law, and until Congress changes that you can always bring your spouse, male or female into the country with a green card, assuming they are not a master criminal, or convicted of drug or prostitution crimes.

 

The US national has to prove that they have the means to support them for 2 years, you have to provide tax transcripts and sign an affidavit to that effect.

 

I'm not sure much has changed, but maybe they are just enforcing it more, which in the Trump era is highly likely

 

But congrats on making a successful move home.

 

Have a great vacation in CO, get your head back together before you figure out what to do in Austin

Thanks!  And I will heed your advice.   I definitely need to get my head back together before anymore decisions.   Thanks again.   Good advice. 

[CaptainJack]

2 hours ago, glegolo said:

Hmm..... 13 months outside the USA, whereof 12 in Thailand. Is that really to move. Nothing will falls into place in that short time period. You are just in the moving-phase stillafter 12 month....

 

And langauage problem with spanish, you come from texas (halv-spanish) you can read the letters they are using in Mexico..... I think it was just too much to move outside the US for some people....

 

You have to be patient and give it time... adapting is not something that comes via the mail or something thatm you can buy, Adapting is patience.

 

Good luck back home, you are probably at the right place and should never have left the motherland...

 

glegolo

Thank you for your comment.   And I think you are right.  I was fine traveling and working in different countries for many years.  I probably should have not tried leaving the motherland.   Oh well.  Live and learn.  Good fortune and a happy life I hope for us all....

[OneMoreFarang]

8 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

Hi!

 

I am fulfilling a promise I made to several members on TV after I decided it was best for me to leave Thailand to let them know how things are with me.  I'm dropping this message here because of the visa information I came across.   The moderator can move it elsewhere if needed.

 

First, thanks for all the support many of you gave me.  I did try to take a stab at living in Mexico.  It was not for me. The language challenges were way harder then I expected. One month was enough for me to finally accept I needed to be back in the USA. 

 

My total time away from my home country was 13 months.  I got back Monday a week ago.  Bought a used car and I'm going to do some camping in the mountains in Colorado before renting an apartment and buying furniture.   

 

Yes, it is expensive to come back, but as I said, the right decision for me. 

 

I'm staying with my only family for a few weeks, my brother from another mother. I am lucky to have him and his wife to put me up as I go about the logistics of coming back to Austin. 

 

There are two articles that I came across that I think are interesting enough to share.  And, that is about it.  I keep in touch via WhatsApp and Line with my farrang and Thai friends.  I hope those friendships will stand the test of time.

 

That's it.  Good luck and keep smiling.   

 

I'll post the two articles separately.  And, I'll check in occasionally.  I ended up with some friends here on TV.  Imagine that....

 

CJ

 

PS. My new (2011 Subaru Outback). Nice. I got it for a really good price. 

Edited 8 hours ago by CaptainJack
Better wording.

It's interesting that the biggest part of your post is a picture of a used Japanese car in the USA. You could have posted lots of more relevant pictures but you chose that car...

[dotpoom]

14 hours ago, CaptainJack said:

My total time away from my home country was 13 months.

Surely you mean 13 years...not 13 months.... 13 months is equivalent to a long week-end?

[jesimps]

13 hours ago, Inn Between said:

Well, best of luck. Have fun, and give my love to "The Donald" if you see him.

 

(Okay, to be honest, I was only sincere about the fun and luck -- not Donald. But I really have nothing against the man, even though he's an a**hole.)  

You just watch that "a**hole" get voted in for a second term of office. See what the non PC and patriotic Spams think as opposed to the snowflakes.

[jesimps]

13 hours ago, Inn Between said:

Well, best of luck. Have fun, and give my love to "The Donald" if you see him.

 

(Okay, to be honest, I was only sincere about the fun and luck -- not Donald. But I really have nothing against the man, even though he's an a**hole.)  

You just watch that "a**hole" get voted in for a second term of office. See what the non PC and patriotic Spams think as opposed to the snowflakes. If a thread is about moon-bouncing, crocheting or morris dancing, Trump and Thaksin still seem to get a mention somewhere.

Edited April 16, 2019 by jesimps

[Suradit69]

15 hours ago, lkv said:

With all the bads, I do not regret the time spent in Bangkok, and if things should become less nationalistic in the future, I may call it home again.

Most people who feel they are unable to really settle here put all the blame on Thais and Thailand without recognizing that at least some of the problem belongs to them and their misconceptions of Thais, Thailand and how green the grass will be elsewhere.

 

They spend very little time  getting to know the country  and people before deciding to settle here and once they make the move they experience homesickness. Rather than admit to that they begin to catalog all the things that are "wrong" in Thailand .

 

Thais and Thailand are pretty much the same as they were a few months ago when you decided to move here.  You concocted some fantasy about Thailand (aka donned the legendary rose colored spectacles ... often wrongly said about those who actually are happy here) and, despite your best efforts, Thailand hasn't rushed to accommodate your fantasy nor do they seem eager to become pseudo Americans (or Brits or Germans or whoever). And basically you miss Mom and Dad or whoever it is you imagine is pining away since you left home.

 

Some of you who decide to return home may be surprised to find that home and the people you left behind have moved on and will quickly tire of hearing about your experiences as the intrepid international traveler.

 

Before someone decides to move here "permanently," s/he really needs to take the time to know where/how they will be living  and, maybe more importantly, they need to understand themselves. Thailand is what it is and you are what you are, and the chances of either radically changing is remote.  If you aren't as adaptable as you imagine you are, it probably will not be a happy fit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GinBoy2]

15 hours ago, lkv said:

Started to go downhill in 2014. Until then, it was all a fairy tale (for me at least, being a "resident" since 2011).

 

Others that have stayed longer may share different views.

I lived in Thailand for 10 years.

 

I'm not sure anything fundamentally changed in the country. 

 

But it's like many 'bright shiny things' eventually the shine wears off!

[wwest5829]

Reporting in at 7 years and 8 months. Still plan on going up the chimney at a Wat when I croak. I count myself fortunate at being at ease to live in other cultures. True enough that if I had the money, I would move around a bit but currently still quite happy with living here as I did some “due diligence” before selling all in the US and retiring to Thailand. If it is determined by those in power that they will no longer tolerate my spending my retirement dollars here, then I will simply move on as a free man ... 

Edited April 16, 2019 by wwest5829

[Mansell]

18 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

Most people who feel they are unable to really settle here put all the blame on Thais and Thailand without recognizing that at least some of the problem belongs to them and their misconceptions of Thais, Thailand and how green the grass will be elsewhere.

 

They spend very little time  getting to know the country  and people before deciding to settle here and once they make the move they experience homesickness. Rather than admit to that they begin to catalog all the things that are "wrong" in Thailand .

 

Thais and Thailand are pretty much the same as they were a few months ago when you decided to move here.  You concocted some fantasy about Thailand (aka donned the legendary rose colored spectacles ... often wrongly said about those who actually are happy here) and, despite your best efforts, Thailand hasn't rushed to accommodate your fantasy nor do they seem eager to become pseudo Americans (or Brits or Germans or whoever). And basically you miss Mom and Dad or whoever it is you imagine is pining away since you left home.

 

Some of you who decide to return home may be surprised to find that home and the people you left behind have moved on and will quickly tire of hearing about your experiences as the intrepid international traveler.

 

Before someone decides to move here "permanently," s/he really needs to take the time to know where/how they will be living  and, maybe more importantly, they need to understand themselves. Thailand is what it is and you are what you are, and the chances of either radically changing is remote.  If you aren't as adaptable as you imagine you are, it probably will not be a happy fit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like what you have written, and I think you are right on the money. Many people haven't travelled much outside their mother country, and of course this creates problems when reality doesn't match expectations when they do go somewhere. Personally I think the more countries you have experienced the more chance you will be able to adapt to moving to a new country......and of course you probably should have visited numerous times before taking the final step. And if your expectations are low to begin with, and you are flexible it will maybe work for you in the long term. Good luck to all those aspiring to the new.