First of all I want thank all of you on this board for the invaluable input and assistance you have provided (on a variety of subjects/topics) since a year ago April. We arrived after months of due diligence online, looking for houses, etc., and as I posted last week, I have been rethinking my retirement here because of the visa problems I outlined a couple of weeks ago. This has been a very frustrating and trying time here for us.

 

As I mentioned then, my wife had to return to the states 5 weeks ago due to her father’s ill health. Now, her 87 year old mother was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, so I am returning home to help Laura with them. No more visa craziness. It’s not what I could of ever imagined when we arrived, but the damn Immigration cloud has been lifted. 

 

I will be departing on the 7th of November for Boston, exactly one year to the day from when we arrived. 

 

As you know, I have been seriously disappointed with this whole Thailand experiment. I don’t like it here at all. This place leaves a lot to be desired. I’m being gracious when I say that. This has been a huge disappointment for me on just about every level. Not what I remember as a G.I. In ‘72-‘73. These people and the culture have not progressed by the way the malls have you thinking they have. 

 

Not what I wanted or expected but I have to say, it’ll be good to get back home to civility, people that can walk and chew gum at the same time and most of all, structure and common sense. This place is like the Wild West. Anything goes for the most part, especially if you have enough baht. Never felt welcome here. 

 

So anyway, many thanks and all the best. I’m outta here!

All the best to you and the family FaFa.

I have been coming to Thailand for around 10 years and it is not quite the same but there is nothing more certain than change.

Moved here eight months ago to be with the Thai wife and daughter and for me, things are OK. 
Anyway goodluck with the move.

To be fair there are pro and con to every situation and to every person and personality in every country in this world, while Thailand is sourly lacking in many areas, the same can be said for many other countries, the bottom line is, how resilient one is enough to overcomes difficulties and bad situations... 

24 minutes ago, FaFaHead said:

As you know, I have been seriously disappointed with this whole Thailand experiment. I don’t like it here at all. This place leaves a lot to be desired. I’m being gracious when I say that. This has been a huge disappointment for me on just about every level. Not what I remember as a G.I. In ‘72-‘73. These people and the culture have not progressed by the way the malls have you thinking they have. 

 

Not what I wanted or expected but I have to say, it’ll be good to get back home to civility, people that can walk and chew gum at the same time and most of all, structure and common sense. This place is like the Wild West. Anything goes for the most part, especially if you have enough baht. Never felt welcome here. 

Good luck to you.

Thailand is not for everybody and yes, it changed slightly since 1973.

But I think it's funny when you write about going to the USA and civility and common sense. 555. Did you have a look at the news in the last years?

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Good luck to you.

Thailand is not for everybody and yes, it changed slightly since 1973.

But I think it's funny when you write about going to the USA and civility and common sense. 555. Did you have a look at the news in the last years?

Will your side arm be ready when you get off the aircraft?

4 minutes ago, ezzra said:

To be fair there are pro and con to every situation and to every person and personality in every country in this world, while Thailand is sourly lacking in many areas, the same can be said for many other countries, the bottom line is, how resilient one is enough to overcomes difficulties and bad situations... 

I think the bigger part is what people define as a bad situation.

I.e. I don't care about the TM forms which have to be filled out from time to time. For me it's a little work and no problem. But some people here make a huge problem out of it. And then they complain about that huge problem. 

90% is in our own mind how many problems we want to have.

4 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Will your side arm be ready when you get off the aircraft?

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think the bigger part is what people define as a bad situation.

I.e. I don't care about the TM forms which have to be filled out from time to time. For me it's a little work and no problem. But some people here make a huge problem out of it. And then they complain about that huge problem. 

90% is in our own mind how many problems we want to have.

And keep in mind many countries have such processes...

18 minutes ago, sherwood said:

All the best to you and the family FaFa.

I have been coming to Thailand for around 10 years and it is not quite the same but there is nothing more certain than change.

Moved here eight months ago to be with the Thai wife and daughter and for me, things are OK. 
Anyway goodluck with the move.

Thank you sir. 

1 minute ago, FaFaHead said:

Thank you sir. 

I thought you already had your last post?  I guess you were fibbing.  

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Will your side arm be ready when you get off the aircraft?

555! I left because of Trump, believe me, I’m not looking forward to the noise in that regard again. I was referring to American order, structure, efficiency. I am a military person and those things are important to me and are sorely lacking here. 

2 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I thought you already had your last post?  I guess you were fibbing.  

I’m trying to be responsive to the people that are responding to me...called being courteous I think!

You can still post from the USA and tell us how things are.

Maybe, if you don't mind, keep your TV account for a few months.

And after you are settled in the USA maybe tell us how you feel about leaving Thailand.

I don't know you and I don't predict anything. Maybe you will be happy, maybe you will miss Thailand.

I think sometimes we only think about the good things if we move to somewhere else and then it's not there anymore.

 

Just now, FaFaHead said:

I’m trying to be responsive to the people that are responding to me...called being courteous I think!

Nothing wrong with a bit of humour / humor (not sure which one is American English).

1 minute ago, FaFaHead said:

555! I left because of Trump, believe me, I’m not looking forward to the noise in that regard again. I was referring to American order, structure, efficiency. I am a military person and those things are important to me and are sorely lacking here. 

Assuming you have good insurance, the best medical care in the world is a pretty big plus as well.

Depends what you want. If I were a couple I would not come here but for girl luving single dudes who want fun it's still great. It has changed, with the army taking over it has declined and happiness has really drooped but I would not swap it for Europe of the US personally. Good luck. 

6 minutes ago, FaFaHead said:

555! I left because of Trump, believe me, I’m not looking forward to the noise in that regard again. I was referring to American order, structure, efficiency. I am a military person and those things are important to me and are sorely lacking here. 

So perhaps Russia would suit you better.

 

American order - I hope your not including American election processes in that - hardly a good example of good order. 

Two flouncers in a single day!

Must be something in the water....

As i have always said and will repeat once again. If you dislike Thailand so much just leave and stop complaining. You are not going to change Thailand any more than you can change anywhere else. Either adapt or leave. I can think of far worse places i could be. Never had any issues with Thai Immigration laws and for the most part the Thais. Learn how to avoid the scams as in any country , people who treat you with disrespect and just deal with the daily ups and downs. If you are totally unwilling to adjust to a foreign country you really don,t belong there in the first place. I see so many foreigners walking around with a scowl on their face and also ask myself why don,t they just leave if they are so miserable.

Oh well. Sorry it didn't work out for you. This seems appropriate for your last post.

 

 

A regimented military mind is going to find dealing with Alzheimer's very difficult.  It will put your Thailand problems into perspective.

I'm not posting this as criticism for the ops decision to move back to the US.  Rather, for anyone who may have been stationed here in the 70's and is considering moving here for retirement:

Thailand is not the same as it was in the early 70's.  And it's not the same as it was when we moved here more than 20 years ago.  It's soooo much better.  If we moved back to my hometown when I was young or the last place we lived in Texas before  we moved here, things would hardly be different.  But Thailand is a developing country......and it's easy to see the improvements.  Sure, some things have gone in reverse....politics.....but then...........

Better roads, better shopping, Lazada and Kerry, fiber optic into the jungle, stable electric and running water, much improved hospital care, improved government services such as ID card, passports, and vehicle registration, greatly improved banking, restaurants galore, loads of domestic flights.  Immigration is a far cry better today than it was back when we came in 1996.....a far cry!  

So, don't expect the same Thailand as you experienced back in 1971.  It's not the same, and neither are you!

 

6 minutes ago, kokesaat said:

Thailand is not the same as it was in the early 70's. 

 

Is there a place that is same as it was in the early 70's apart from the middle of the Amazon Jungle .

39 minutes ago, FaFaHead said:

I’m trying to be responsive to the people that are responding to me...called being courteous I think!

So, really when is your last post going to be?

1 hour ago, FaFaHead said:

These people and the culture have not progressed by the way the malls have you thinking they have. 

 

Never truer words have been spoken....

 

All you have to do is read the local news every day, and that point becomes crystal clear.

 

Back to the motherland...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, marcusarelus said:

So, really when is your last post going to be?

Never. They usually start posting again under a different name after TV withdrawal symptoms kick in.........

1 hour ago, FaFaHead said:

I don’t like it here at all. 

There must be SOME positives about Thailand you can take back with you.

This is not a dig at OP but a general observation .

 

Americans in my experience do seem to struggle anywhere they go expecting and wanting for everything to be their way and their way only .

 

it does not limit to general day to day stuff but even business dealings . They seem to expect for everyone to bent over backwards and do how Americans do it and if someone does not then they are stupid.

 

i have recently had my second encounter with the same American wanting to buy business . First time I just told him where to go from the start, this time he seemed more humble so i decided to waste my time with him. Not only I told him things are done differently here but gave him references to law firms and brokers sites showing step by step process only to be told it all Bs and he knows better and it’s done same as in America.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is some people from some cultures can , try and do assimilate into a new culture and some want other culture to change for them.