Why you as a farrang live in Thailand

[sunnyboy2018]

13 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

What's with the CAPITALISATIONS? Is it a US/Trump thing? Really annoying.

It comes over a petulance and hysterical. It is irritating.

[emptypockets]

9 hours ago, simon43 said:

I consider myself very lucky because I'm no longer married, and therefore have no responsibilities to consider any other person in my decisions.

 

I'm also very fortunate in that I have 'engineered' a very portable job over the past year.  Rather than teaching in a 'bricks and mortar' international or private school, I now only teach students online.

 

Put those 2 facts together, add in a sprinkling of TM30 requirements, 90 day report requirements, 800,000 baht visa/extension requirements/ ever-fatter P4P (I've slimmed down!), rude IOs, and it's no wonder that I'll be leaving Thailand in about 3 weeks from now.... ????

So you keep telling us, over and over again. Sad to hear that your penis no longer works. Takes a brave man to post that online. Enjoy life in Laos.

[tominbkk]

You just have this blanket complaint.  What are details?  I guess it really is time for you to leave.  I myself have been here nearly 30 years and love it still very much.

[marcusarelus]

8 minutes ago, lkv said:

"Not as bad as" logical fallacy.

 

It's not as bad as China, therefore it's good.

 

Enjoy the VPN Marcus.

OK drop China.  Thailand does not have a firewall that prohibits the use of Google and Facebook and other sites.  That's another reason I live in Thailand.  In America one never knows when your internet or mobile will be tapped because anyone in government can get a Fisa warrant for the slimmest of reasons like somebody in the UK said you had a golden shower fetish.   In Thailand no one cares about me which makes it nice living here.

Edited July 27, 2019 by marcusarelus

[newnative]

    My Thai partner and I moved here in 2010 when his visa ran out in the US and he was forced to leave.  Posters here are constantly scaremongering about Thailand kicking us out but so far Thailand keeps welcoming me year after year to stay for another year--with visa requirements that have scarcely changed since I arrived.  America is the country that kicked out my partner, not vice versa.  

    I think we figured that we would eventually move back to the US at some point but I don't see that happening now.  We have made a very good life for ourselves here and live much better than we would in the US.  We live in a very nice condo right on the ocean in a safe community--no way could we afford that in the US.  My partner has a better job here than he would be able to get in the US.  We enjoy the good weather, being able to swim year-round and keep active.

    As I get older, I appreciate the good health care here.  I am definitely spoiled with being able to walk into the hospital when I am sick without an appointment and I can usually see a doctor in less than an hour--and at a reasonable cost.  If I reach the point where I need old age assistance, I know I will be able to afford it here--doubtful in the US with my monthly income.

    As an American, I do try to follow current events in the States and, frankly, I am starting to not recognize the country I left in 2010.  Every year it seems to get more polarized and divided.  The clashes between conservatives and liberals get nastier and more dangerous.  Statements I often find innocuous are immediately seized on and attacked.  If I were famous I definitely would not say a word for fear I might say something deeply offensive like police sometimes have a difficult job.

    Democrats and Republicans can't agree on anything and the constant bickering and inaction is sad to see from afar.  Nothing gets done on gun violence, immigration, health care reform, the deteriorating infrastructure, the environment, Social Security reform, or likely anything else you can think of. Neither side wants to see the other side accomplish anything so very little gets done other than wasting valuable resources on useless, endless, unpopular foreign wars.  Hate to say it but there is little I miss about not living in America.  

    Thailand is not perfect.  Neither is Pattaya, our home.  No place is.  But, you weigh the good with the bad and make your choice on where you choose to live.  For us, the positives for living here far outweigh the negatives on the things that matter the most to us.  

    

    

[lkv]

2 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

In Thailand no one cares about me which makes it nice living here.

Internet is tapped for years Marcus. It goes through the digital gateway. They have interactive maps of where the foreigners live and all that. Now, when you take the Skytrain, they effectively know where you go also, if you happen to be in Bangkok.

 

This is a glimpse of what they had 3 years ago.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/2016/03/28/1459141534/

 

[emptypockets]

8 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Why don't you go back now if you hate the place so much?

That is not Thailand's problem or fault.

Thanx.

Bye.

ps, the Sonny B avatar does'nt become you. He's not a winger.

Didn't even know he payed football. Was he the goalie?

[sunnyboy2018]

11 minutes ago, newnative said:

    My Thai partner and I moved here in 2010 when his visa ran out in the US and he was forced to leave.  Posters here are constantly scaremongering about Thailand kicking us out but so far Thailand keeps welcoming me year after year to stay for another year--with visa requirements that have scarcely changed since I arrived.  America is the country that kicked out my partner, not vice versa.  

    I think we figured that we would eventually move back to the US at some point but I don't see that happening now.  We have made a very good life for ourselves here and live much better than we would in the US.  We live in a very nice condo right on the ocean in a safe community--no way could we afford that in the US.  My partner has a better job here than he would be able to get in the US.  We enjoy the good weather, being able to swim year-round and keep active.

    As I get older, I appreciate the good health care here.  I am definitely spoiled with being able to walk into the hospital when I am sick without an appointment and I can usually see a doctor in less than an hour--and at a reasonable cost.  If I reach the point where I need old age assistance, I know I will be able to afford it here--doubtful in the US with my monthly income.

    As an American, I do try to follow current events in the States and, frankly, I am starting to not recognize the country I left in 2010.  Every year it seems to get more polarized and divided.  The clashes between conservatives and liberals get nastier and more dangerous.  Statements I often find innocuous are immediately seized on and attacked.  If I were famous I definitely would not say a word for fear I might say something deeply offensive like police sometimes have a difficult job.

    Democrats and Republicans can't agree on anything and the constant bickering and inaction is sad to see from afar.  Nothing gets done on gun violence, immigration, health care reform, the deteriorating infrastructure, the environment, Social Security reform, or likely anything else you can think of. Neither side wants to see the other side accomplish anything so very little gets done other than wasting valuable resources on useless, endless, unpopular foreign wars.  Hate to say it but there is little I miss about not living in America.  

    Thailand is not perfect.  Neither is Pattaya, our home.  No place is.  But, you weigh the good with the bad and make your choice on where you choose to live.  For us, the positives for living here far outweigh the negatives on the things that matter the most to us.  

    

    

Excellent post. 

[connda]

I'm here because 12 years ago I married a Thai woman.  I've supported both her, my stepson, and extended family.  My reward?  The Thai government treats me like a pile of buffalo excrement.

 

If I was not married, I would not be here. 

 

[emptypockets]

6 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

It takes as much - if not more - courage to return home than it does to move here.

 

The amount of planning to move back can easily surpass the amount put into moving here. You're older, and there's less room for error. There's greater economic uncertainty today than there was just 10 years ago. Central bank easing has made returns on capital less predictable, and distorted the pricing on many asset classes, especially real estate and stocks. Western governments fiscal deficits and uncertainty about entitlement programs also need to be weighed. When you start factoring in potential costs for long-term care, out-of-pocket medical expenses, and the possibilities of inflation, currency devaluations, low or negative interest rates, or entitlement program cuts, even the most sizeable nest eggs and pension benefits start to look vulnerable.

 

It takes time to evaluate these factors carefully, and may help explain why people who are contemplating repatriation don't simply pack up and leave on the next plane, as many here often suggest they ought to.

 

To those contemplating leaving, as I am, my advice would be to carefully research and plan your options, while also making an effort to make your remaining time in Thailand as fulfilling as possible. Focusing on improving both your mental and physical health to prepare for the challenges which lay ahead is also good advice.

It takes me and the wife about ten minutes to check the flights and dates and we are on our way 'home'...mine in Oz. Same in the opposite direction to her 'home' in Thailand.

[wilailuk]

1 hour ago, dimitriv said:

 

I know nothing about the US or Australia. In the Netherlands you will get Dutch nationality after being married and living together for 3 years. When you live together without being married you will get Dutch nationality after 5 years. So after 3 or 5 years you will be 100% Dutch with a Dutch passport. Even after a divorce you could just stay without problems. You will get all the rights other people have also.

 

And the above is normal. Living together if you are married is a fundamental right. Putting up barriers with minimum income requirements, 90 day reports, TM30's and other weird visa requirements even after years of living here is unjustified.

 

 

 

 

 

 - and that´s why Europe will go under in chaos in the near future, they are changing the population thru the whole f..... continent! Thailand is not that stupid, they are ultra-nationalists, and proud of it, and don´t give a hoot about this or that farang or other races, good for them, they will still exist when Europe is finished..

 

 

Edited July 27, 2019 by wilailuk

[Jingthing]

44 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

What's with the CAPITALISATIONS? Is it a US/Trump thing? Really annoying.

I use it for EMPHASIS only. He goes much much further often all capping entire long even multiple connected posts. I was doing it long before I became aware of that trivial similarity and there is no connection between 45 and I.  No, it isn't really a U.S. thing. I agree it's not OK and is shouting for entire posts but I think it is OK to be used selectively for emphasis, same as bold or italic. I don't see anything wrong for people to have a particular style and part of my particular style is to use all caps for emphasis. 

Edited July 27, 2019 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

23 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

It comes over a petulance and hysterical. It is irritating.

You can choose to put any member on IGNORE.

[sunnyboy2018]

32 minutes ago, lkv said:

Why the VPN? Isn't it uncensored, freedom of speech, anybody can comment anything they like?

 

What are you worried about?

VPNs are about added security as well as privacy.  Such matters are not limited to government authorities. 

[marcusarelus]

18 minutes ago, lkv said:

Internet is tapped for years Marcus. It goes through the digital gateway. They have interactive maps of where the foreigners live and all that. Now, when you take the Skytrain, they effectively know where you go also, if you happen to be in Bangkok.

 

This is a glimpse of what they had 3 years ago.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/2016/03/28/1459141534/

 

I posted it before.  I use a VPN and Thailand does not stop Google and Facebook like other countries do.  Which is one of the reasons I live in Thailand. Do they censor the INTERNET in the country where you live?

[emptypockets]

4 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

This is correct - two sides to Thailand and any story.

 

Good side to me I a met my wife

 

Bad side to me is health care and health insurances

 

Both sides of the story most people want to hear. Before I make any informed decision, I check on line and I most likely read a lot of BS but I read both side to the story. I also do this for most products I buy as well.

 

TV has a lot of stories, a lot of BS but if you read it enough and been here long enough as I have now, gleaning the truth about it all is pretty easy. I left Australia 10 years ago as I had changed and I did not like my country much then. After a lot of travel here and it now being 10 years later, I am changing again. I see things I have not noticed before and realize I also had it pretty good 10 years ago in Australia but I was too blinded to see this because over time after living somewhere for a long term, you forget things and bash the place.

 

Same thing for Thailand. I do like Thailand but I am lucky enough I have somewhere else I can compare it too and everything, no matter how you look at it, will have two sides to the story and you can forgot how good you had it. Oh, Thailand is good but I hate to say a lot of people are locked here either for some time (like me married to a Thai) or for good as they brought everything they had over to Thailand and are locked here with no way out. Many people posting would have trouble getting back home and would have pretty big issues if they did.

 

Yep, two stories to everything and neither will be true depending on whose eyes you are looking through it with.

I married a Thai. I don't feel locked anywhere. I'm 63 she is 54. Lets get back to reality the only people 'locked' are those who have no money. Or the fools who bred with a younger SEA woman for God only knows what reason.

No excuse for that being an Australian with the compulsory superannuation for twenty odd years.

Unless you went straight from the dole or disability pension, as is commonplace these days, to the aged pension and had delusions that you had earned the right to live in a land of milk and honey and pussy.

Edited July 27, 2019 by emptypockets

[marcusarelus]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You can choose to put any member on IGNORE.

Why would anyone put you on ignore.  It's fun to watch any post that disagrees with you disappear.  You are a magic guy. Or I'm getting senile.  Remember the overstay penalty one that you were in error about? 

[lkv]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I posted it before.  I use a VPN and Thailand does not stop Google and Facebook like other countries do.  Which is one of the reasons I live in Thailand. Do they censor the INTERNET in the country where you live?

Marcus, you're American and I am European, maybe that's the issue. We don't get the type of rubbish coming from the Government as you guys do. We get other types of rubbish, but that's a different story. ????

 

For me, "not as bad as" isn't good enough long term at my age.

Edited July 27, 2019 by lkv

[Swedenlars]

 - and that´s why Europe will go under in chaos in the near future, they are changing the population thru the whole f..... continent! Thailand is not that stupid, they are ultra-nationalists, and proud of it, and don´t give a hoot about this or that farang or other races, good for them, they will still exist when Europe is finished..
 
 

Right you are. Any Asia country is smarter than the EU, incl. Switzerland and Norway. The naive and stupid europeans are even roaming around in the mediterranean sea to pick up these so called asyl seekers. In fact these are most of the time healthy young men. In case you are doubting this have a look at pics you see daily in the media or have a walk in any european city
At my age i don't care anymore. But I feel sorry for the young generation. I'm sure not far in the future they will hate the politicians for the big mess they have created. Some hate them already now. Those still have not lost their brain yet. Unfortunately a minority. As I said, the rest will wake up later.

Gesendet von meinem SM-N950F mit Tapatalk

[from the home of CC]

20 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I don't agree with you.

People lecturing expats that they need to leave if they have criticisms of things here are just obnoxious. Period. Such posts have NO VALUE whatsoever. 

Also they are dull and redundant. Completely unoriginal. The intellectual level of slugs. What percentage of the posts on this forum are variations of such dreck?

 

Yes you get the same thing with expats everywhere. 

I'll agree it's not exactly the same thing as talking about your home country, but it's a variation on a theme of bullying idiocy. 

 

IMO the worst posts are the constant whines and complaints about this country, considering when you look around the world these days there isn't 1 place that really shines and checks every box..

[lkv]

9 minutes ago, Swedenlars said:

But I feel sorry for the young generation. I'm sure not far in the future they will hate the politicians for the big mess they have created. 

And we're all going to come to Thailand and be regulated by Police on the streets and be treated like trash, are we? 

 

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thonglor-police-chief-denies-expats-being-searched-illegally/

 

 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, from the home of CC said:

IMO the worst posts are the constant whines and complaints about this country, considering when you look around the world these days there isn't 1 place that really shines and checks every box..

Now that's an interesting point.

Before I moved to Thailand I shopped around for options but at that time based on Thailand's easy visa without pension Thailand was almost the only choice and it helped that I enjoyed It, at least as a tourist.

But I see clearly that pretty much all countries have serious flaws including home countries of course. It's just a matter of choosing the mix of pros and cons that work best for you at a given time, assuming you can legally live there.

Obviously though the INTERTIA factor can be very strong. It's often hard just to move house much less to move to another country.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, lkv said:

And we're all going to come to Thailand and be regulated by Police on the streets and be treated like trash, are we? 

 

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thonglor-police-chief-denies-expats-being-searched-illegally/

 

 

Yes it does feel like there has been a negative trend in that regard.

[marcusarelus]

24 minutes ago, lkv said:

Marcus, you're American and I am European, maybe that's the issue. We don't get the type of rubbish coming from the Government as you guys do. We get other types of rubbish, but that's a different story. ????

 

For me, "not as bad as" isn't good enough long term at my age.

I think it is far more than that. I moved to South East Asia during a war 51 years ago.  I have lived in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during a war. Since then, I have lived all over the world.  I believe I have a depth of knowledge and experience that you could not have acquired.  I live in Thailand because I have lived in many places and have seen this country during times of stress and good and bad times and have an idea how they will react.  3 coups and a couple of wars gives you an advantage when predicting behavior. 

Edited July 27, 2019 by marcusarelus

[lkv]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Yes it does feel like there has been a negative trend in that regard.

Yeah, and it does not help when you live at Asok.

 

And when I am being suggested to "move somewhere else", because "it's not as bad as", I will perceive it as a limitation of my movements. Can't stay here, can't stay there.

 

Main reason I left.

[Anastasios]

I haven't moved yet but I see lots of people trying to scare others from living here. I can certainly see why some things can be frustrating.

 

My reasons for wanting to live in Bangkok are cheap services like dental, cosmetic, massage, medical, restaurants. Service people are friendly too. I truly hate the tax system in my home country where we have the highest tax rates in the world, supposedly get free health, education etc but it's so hot id rather work myself to riches and pay privately, to someone who is actually willing to help. I have too many bad experiences and I'm sick of it. Also they stabbed us in the back with promises of good pensions for the employer tax (35%)  we pay which will now go to immigration, and my pension will be enough to cover housing, food and transportation, while i enjoy counting my days to death lol.

 

I chose a different route in life and that doesn't actually have to do with Thailand or any country at all. My money is off shore, I dictate my future quality of life, my standard of living and my freedom. I am never going to let my body be owned by a socialist/commie government again. I grew up in the ghetto of ghettos in Sweden where no swedish native lived. In my initial visits to Thailand I got invited from random strangers in the streets to sit down and offered me a shot of yadong. Despite being ghetto areas of Bangkok they just befriended me, they didn't stab me or rob me, polar opposite of ghettos here. So, it's simply my decision to become financially independent and choose to locate myself where I get a lot of bang for my buck and have a standard of living and services I enjoy. Doesn't mean I'm choosing to marry Thailand and invest everything I have there, just means I'm parking myself there until I get bored :).

 

P.S. getting just a visiting visa for my Thai girlfriend was much more of a hassle than getting a visa in thailand. 

 

P.P.S. Thai girls are very feminine and if you are a good guy yourself and look hard you can find an excellent partner. You can even pay to rent a partner for a good price. 

[simon43]

33 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I posted it before.  I use a VPN and Thailand does not stop Google and Facebook like other countries do.  Which is one of the reasons I live in Thailand. Do they censor the INTERNET in the country where you live?

Internet surveillance is not the same as internet censorship. That Wiki article indicated that 110,000 websites are blocked from access in Thailand.  Sure, you can use a VPN, but why the censorship? (Rhetorical question).

 

Interestingly, when I lived in Myanmar, I never found any internet censorship.  Anti-government websites could be accessed.  I never had to use a VPN.  (Of course, the lack of internet censorship in Myanmar may be because they haven't got a clue how to implement it technically!)

Edited July 27, 2019 by simon43

[marcusarelus]

Just now, simon43 said:

Internet surveillance is different from internet censorship. That Wiki article indicated that 110,000 websites are blocked from access in Thailand.  Sure, you can use a VPN, but why the censorship? (Rhetorical question).

 

Interestingly, when I lived in Myanmar, I never found any internet censorship.  Anti-government websites could be accessed.  I never had to use a VPN.  (Of course, the lack of internet censorship in Myanmar may be because they haven't got a clue how to implement it technically!)

I thought you weren't going to talk to me anymore?  I use a VPN in any country.  So I can watch the complete line up of Netflix movies.  It's Netflix censorship that really bothers me.  But one of the reasons I live in Thailand is the fast 4k that is available when I use my VPN. 

[TG911]

On 7/26/2019 at 7:55 PM, Parsve said:

Me my self have lived here for six years and  several tourist visits before. Now I can truly say that the only thing that keep me here is my wonderful thai wife, and that she do want to live close to her family, but not even that will hold me much longer. 

No, I don't think so. 

 

We all move to new destinations with big exciting expectations. And then get frustrated, disappointed etc. 

 

IMO .. the place finally got to you. Earlier than you expected.

 

That's something people always warned about on forums before, even 10 years ago, when people said they wanted to make the move to Thailand.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2019 by TG911

[bwpage3]

I lived in Thailand for over 10 years.

 

Some great experiences I will never forget and some not so great.

 

After I got married, I really started thinking more and more about the future.

 

We wanted our son to get a western education and he is off to college in a couple weeks so that was just great to move back and get him into school in the US.

 

My wife was from Isaan and just an extremely wonderful person on every front.

 

I was lucky she wanted to move to the USA and get out of Thailand.

 

That being said, when you have moved away from your country for some many years and decide to go back and start over, it is a daunting task.

 

First, it takes money. If you didn't own a house before it will take lots of money.

 

I had to move back to the US by myself and get a job back in corporate America so that I could sponsor a marriage visa. That took roughly around 16 months.

 

So while I was sending money back to support my family, I had to re-establish living in the USA.

 

When I first landed in the USA, I was in a hotel the first few days.

 

I bought a new car first thing and then rented a place to stay.

 

Back into the 9 to 5 grind of work, however, I was making a very good income so it was all working out.

 

During this time I was supporting a place in the USA and my family in Thailand. It takes a lot of money!

 

When the time came for them to come to the USA, I went back to travel with them. 3 plane tickets to the USA.

 

During that time I had switched jobs to be able to live where I wanted to live, which was Florida.

 

We bought a house in Florida, more money for the down payment (20%), closing costs etc.

 

Son needed a car so we bought a second new car. More money.

 

And the moral of the story is that is NOT easy just pack up and move from Thailand if you have no where to move to and don't have a lot of money.

 

The costs associated with moving and getting reestablished are extremely high and maybe out of reach for people who have been working in Thailand or are retired and on a pension. Maybe financially they cannot make it work?

 

Florida has a huge Thai population, Thai Temples, Thai restaurants, grocery stores, you name it Our yard is full of Thai Fruit Trees.

 

Lucky for me my wife loves it here and she has an awesome future ahead which makes it easier for me.

 

Reading all the stories about how Thailand is changing their attitudes towards foreigners is extremely sad.

 

They seem to get a thrill blasting the news of how many foreigners got arrested that week, which never happened when I lived there?

 

The costs are much higher due to the poor exchange rates and you really have to ask yourself how a country with declining exports and tourism has the strongest currency in Asia?

 

I was glad I made the move when I did. It wasn't an easy decision at the time but it was always the best decision.

 

Remembering all the good times, there is always the temptation to move back some day?

 

However, being realistic, reading all the stories here keeps a sane mind how Thailand is constantly changing.

 

What will Thailand be like 15 years from now? Look how much Thailand has changed since 2004.

 

Can not even guess or imagine and trying to plan for something unknown that many years into the future is just crazy.

 

It is a tough decision for every single person that has to make the decision to move or stay. It is different circumstances for everyone.

 

Thailand will continue to change depending on who is in charge of the govt.

 

I think the smartest thing is always have a plan B in the back of your mind, even if you never need it.

 

For all those in tough place to stay or move, wish you luck on that.