Why do you continue to live in Thailand

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, Kurtf said:

I continue to live here because I and my wife owned some land 40km north of Chiang Mai and we wanted to take care of her ailing father so we built a house on the land. Now that he has passed, we can not sell the house without taking a severe loss. If we could get a price even close to what we have invested I and my wife would be gone like a shot.

Building your own house may be nice, but it's rarely cost effective.

Especially as Thais don't really want western design houses.

[EVENKEEL]

2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

so now you are an immigrant

Nope I'm only a visitor, anyone here who thinks of themselves as immigrants are deluding themselves. Regardless of what their passport says.

Edited June 11, 2020 by EVENKEEL

[hanssna]

Just enjoying it here in the south / Phangnga so much, my lovely wife and things we can do together; visit markets, cook, enjoy sunsets or rany afternoons at the empty beaches, visiting friends houses sitting outside in the jungle watching birds and other life, drinking with friends, speaking some Thai with the locals, driving my bike (so many roads to cruise) swim in the sea, go spearfish with friends, some local wrecks we dive, no stupid rules here like speed limits and can park my pickup anywhere and enjoy some seafood, get together with friends and BBQ and get hammered, nobody gives a sh*t if I don't wear a helmet (exept Thai visa grumpy old nannies ???? ) and now things are opening up, bars will soon as well I hope : my company s closed until November because of this situation so enough time now..  so trips planned to nearby Ranong and ko Phayam soon.. the government and grumpy Thai bashers don't bother me and leave me alone so me still enjoying it here after 19 years.

[geronimo]

I'm still here because there's nowhere else I'd rather be, and it looks like I'll be here until I leave this dimension. I happen to love it, warts and all!

[Surasak]

How about, because I like it here. I have set down roots and have a family, we have a nice house and a small business, why would I want to leave???

[Logosone]

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Yes, it's a bit of a myth to say it's cheap here (in Bangkok anyway) compared to the west.  The price of wine, cheese, decent pizzas, Indian food, M&S underwear is exorbitant.  I've worked here for 15 years but I don't want to live like a Thai!

Absolutely right, same in Chiang Mai. Food is not cheap in Thailand if you live a normal quality of life. Sure, you could forego fresh baguette, croissant, smoked salmon, Jamon Serrano, Boursin, hot Chorizo, Black Forest Ham and instead have sticky rice with a lump of bbq meat. If that's not an option however you end up spending the same or more for food than you spend in Europe. That's because restaurants are a lot cheaper and thus compensate for the expensive imports.

 

In terms of accommodation you can save a lot of money in Thailand however, a beautiful villa with pool costs half or a third of what you'd pay in Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keyser Soze666]

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

So many elderly expats looking back on their youth with nostalgia, if the west is such a great place today, why are you here?

Erh, you no exactly why. I'm surprised you of all people have asked that. I'll give you a clue though, it's not for the fresh air or the som tum?

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

Erh, you no exactly why. I'm surprised you of all people have asked that. I'll give you a clue though, it's not for the fresh air or the som tum?

I freely admit I'm here for the cheap (slim) pussy.

But most of the other posters seem to deny this.

My son in the UK is banging a woman twice his weight ...... he says it's all he can get.

Last woman I banged in the UK, I was 52, she was 22 ......... we weighed around the same.

 

Free as well, well OK nearly free, 2 pints of Rattler then back to my place.

She didn't want to be seen with me (too old), I didn't want to be seen with her (too fat).

 

I also had a gf slightly older (and bigger) than me at the same time.

Not only free but had a nice house, and used to invite me round to her Sunday family roast dinners.

My last Xmas dinner in the UK free, but I couldn't bring myself to kiss her.

She once said, "why do you never kiss me or hold hands?", I replied, "I don't want to spoil our friendship"

Edited June 11, 2020 by BritManToo

[Keyser Soze666]

Just now, BritManToo said:

I freely admit I'm here for the cheap (slim) pussy.

But most of the other posters seem to deny this.

My son in the UK is banging a woman twice his weight ...... he says it's all he can get.

Haha, can well believe it!

[AgMech Cowboy]

23 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

no corruption, free public hospital cover,

Yeah, you gave a bunch of good reasons, but you should delete these two or at least modify. You should make that 'less' corruption and "public hospital cover" that you've already paid for in taxes ain't free. Nothing is 'free'.

 

Responding to you post...  I get my news from websites and can turn it off when I don't wish to see it. I do not watch any of the news commentators unless they are giving me real news. I am able to not see all the Western MSM socialist <deleted> that permeates the society. I try to keep my heart cool (jai yin, yin).

 

Secondly, I bought a house here, which my wife owns, yes, but she hasn't kicked me out, yet.

 

I looked at moving back to Texas 2 years ago, but honestly, it's expensive.  I even looked for work, but wasn't successful. I've been here 22 yrs and have no employment record there. Now there are literally no jobs for 67 yrs old people (unless already working).

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Now there are literally no jobs for 67 yrs old people (unless already working).

Not many jobs left in the west for white guys of any age.

[jayboy]

23 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Why does any man do anything? P....Women.

 

I was in Thailand mainly because it was fun, relatively inexpensive, good quality lifestyle if you have money. It was basically a perpetual vacation and I could go out (almost) every night and get laid whenever I wanted to.

 

I did however decide to move on this year. Too many immigration headaches, and Bangkok is severely overpriced when it comes down to nightlife. I could spend half as much for just the same somewhere else in Asia. The plan forward is to go back to my home country, get a good IT job, and visit SEA (not necessarily Thailand) occasionally. Congratulations immigration - your "come too mutt" policies worked - I won't come as much anymore. Idiots.

You sound pretty much like the kind of "nightlife" visitor that nobody in Thailand wants, so win-win.

[CorpusChristie]

1 hour ago, Kurtf said:

I continue to live here because I and my wife owned some land 40km north of Chiang Mai and we wanted to take care of her ailing father so we built a house on the land. Now that he has passed, we can not sell the house without taking a severe loss. If we could get a price even close to what we have invested I and my wife would be gone like a shot.

Is there any reason why you cannot sell the house ?

Or is it just because theres no buyers ?

[rascalman]

Well to start with I have found someone special to love! Now the years have brought me more illnesses, I do not travel much!

However I am comfortable, have my books, movies and people who care about me! I will not leave!

[hotandsticky]

39 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I freely admit I'm here for the cheap (slim) pussy.

But most of the other posters seem to deny this.

My son in the UK is banging a woman twice his weight ...... he says it's all he can get.

Last woman I banged in the UK, I was 52, she was 22 ......... we weighed around the same.

 

Free as well, well OK nearly free, 2 pints of Rattler then back to my place.

She didn't want to be seen with me (too old), I didn't want to be seen with her (too fat).

 

I also had a gf slightly older (and bigger) than me at the same time.

Not only free but had a nice house, and used to invite me round to her Sunday family roast dinners.

My last Xmas dinner in the UK free, but I couldn't bring myself to kiss her.

She once said, "why do you never kiss me or hold hands?", I replied, "I don't want to spoil our friendship"

 

 

I think that it is the brutal honesty of your posts that appeals to me.

 

I see, and understand, your motivation........................... I can't think of many better places for an old man to be.

[4MyEgo]

1 minute ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Yeah, you gave a bunch of good reasons, but you should delete these two or at least modify. You should make that 'less' corruption and "public hospital cover" that you've already paid for in taxes ain't free. Nothing is 'free'.

 

Responding to you post...  I get my news from websites and can turn it off when I don't wish to see it. I do not watch any of the news commentators unless they are giving me real news. I am able to not see all the Western MSM socialist <deleted> that permeates the society. I try to keep my heart cool (jai yin, yin).

 

Secondly, I bought a house here, which my wife owns, yes, but she hasn't kicked me out, yet.

 

I looked at moving back to Texas 2 years ago, but honestly, it's expensive.  I even looked for work, but wasn't successful. I've been here 22 yrs and have no employment record there. Now there are literally no jobs for 67 yrs old people (unless already working).

For the record, public health cover in Australia (Medicare) when I left was 2% on top of your taxable income, however if you don't work, you are covered for free, so that's a plus for me, therefore saving about 120,000 baht annually and increasing with age ????

 

I prefered to make an early decision to exit here, e.g. within 5 years so as not to be in too deep when I go back, I have still been paying my annual registration fee to keep my license alive for work, and have been doing consultancy work for existing clients when the occasion arises and new customers, and I have stayed in the loop with the market, suffice to say, if I ever wanted to go back into that field that I was in for 25 year before I left in 2015, doors would open for me and I could earn a good crust, but as I retired 5 years ago, I haven't forgotten how hard one has to work to make that money, so I can't see myself returning to work, but will continue to do the odd consultancy work and dabble in the share market, even with its up and downs, it's a good return, albeit your capital gets reduced, but if they are blue chip stocks, and you don't require the funds, your fine, that said I am not ALL in, I have funds in the bank for emergencies, so I guess my planning has worked, e.g. keeping one foot still in the boat when it landed on the shores of Thailand.

 

I prefer to watch the news listen to TVF gossip, because it provides me with what is really happening out there as opposed to me having my head in the sand in out castle do to speak, it's reality.

 

Sure the house I built here was always for the wife, e.g. if I carked it, she has a fall back position, and the way I see it, being together for 13 years, the 2 million plus, say 3 million baht invested in her as an all up outlay for furnishing, extensions, a/c's, on the house, comes to around 20,000 baht a month or $1,000 a month AUS over those 13 years, so it's not a loss to me, it's an investment for her, suffice to say a small outlay for me. If she ever kicked me out, it would be her biggest loss $'s in the future, the oh mighty (will), and as she always says, if you leave me, I follow you ????

 

With respect, you are in too deep, 22 years, s-h-i-t if I left it that long and didn't keep my registration for my license going and doing some consultation work, it would be a totally different world and getting a job would be pretty grim, 67 is still young, I am approaching 60 and don't look it or feel it, and am looking forward to making some further coin in 7 years when I apply for the pension, why not, as long as I keep my assets under the threshold, I am entitled to it.

 

There will be a couple of things I will miss when I depart Thailand, the first will be the house, 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 320m2 all up on a 1,000m2 block, if I was to build the same place in Sydney, I would need around 60,000 baht per square metre or 20,000,000 baht, add on top of that another 20,000,000 baht for the land which would be half the size of the land here. So renting when back in Sydney will be the way to go, until I find an opportunity if the market drops, as it is pretty much in the same position when I sold in mid 2016. The other thing I will miss is the pretty young ladies, but I can do without both, and last but not least, being away from neighbours, at the moment we have a river opposite us, no neighbours behind us, and the neighbours either side of us are at least 20 metres away from us on one side and a 100 metres the other.

 

So I know what I am giving up, but Thailand isn't doing it for me, so why kid myself, the sails are set, just got to wait for the wind to pick up so to speak ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

I can rent a fully-furnished condo here with swimming pool for a monthly cost which would only get me tenancy for a week in Australia.

A one-hour massage here costs one-seventh of the cheapest one-hour massage in Australia, and better quality.

My Thai GF thinks I am the best man ever in her life. I still get propositioned occasionally by women much younger than me, which is good 4MyEgo.

I eat well, and exercise daily. My weight balloons from 90 kg to 100 kg in Australia with the bigger portions. Just compare the size of a Thai slice of bread with the Australian counterpart.

Go to a shopping mall or supermarket here, and I have plenty of eye candy. In Oz, I am looking mostly at lardasses and thunder thighs.

I can zip around on a scooter here, maximum mobility. With wind and traffic in Australia, it would be suicide.

Unlike the OP, the thought of going back to Australia, then being forced to stay there by government fiat, fills me with dread. It's still a prison colony under those circumstances.

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Lacessit

[Mac98]

The local ladies. If the go-gos never reopened I would miss the occasional outing, but I would stay because of how well the lovely young (compared to me) locals watch out for me and provide many entertaining days that far outstrip watching Trump TV in the States.

   And the low rents!

[pixelaoffy]

work! but cant wait to leave the racist place

[Lacessit]

13 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

For the record, public health cover in Australia (Medicare) when I left was 2% on top of your taxable income, however if you don't work, you are covered for free, so that's a plus for me, therefore saving about 120,000 baht annually and increasing with age ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medicare is one of those government services where the devil is in the detail. It doesn't matter to me, because I have top level private health insurance in Australia.

However, if you are a person in the public health system, there is a detail called a waiting list. If it's not emergency medical care, you go on one of them. Hip replacement, spinal fusion, knee replacement - they're all what's called elective surgery, and the waiting lists can be up to two years. That's OK if you are not in pain. If you are, you are SOOL.

[ravip]

Simple reason. No where else can I go and live - Financial and mostly maybe due to my 'outlook' in life. Living in Thailand suits my purse and  I am free to bash and insult everyone and everything around, sitting and hiding behind a keyboard. Some call it whining!

????????

[BritManToo]

34 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

getting a job would be pretty grim, 67 is still young, I am approaching 60 and don't look it or feel it, and am looking forward to making some further coin in 7 years when I apply for the pension, why not, as long as I keep my assets under the threshold, I am entitled to it.

I'm 64 but look 80, maybe another year, no need to worry about money beyond that.

My best friend was approaching 60, looked his age, but died at 59, pension wasted.

(didn't realise he was dying until 3 weeks from the end)

 

7 years is a long time!

Edited June 11, 2020 by BritManToo

[natway09]

Apart fom not being able to afford the housing required if i went home not sure that I could stand the "nanny state" attitude after 30 years of Thai living.

Immigration  is not really a big problem for me.

I feel much more free to do "my own thing " here than in NZ or OZ.

If my beautiful relationship fell apart, I would still stay here

[nauseus]

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Refer to #8 on page 1

Done. I still think you should change it.

[nauseus]

6 hours ago, theonetrueaussie said:

I always find these topics funny, it's like everyone here seems to only think 2 dimensionaly, stay here or go back to western country....For me it was fun when I first came but this will be my final year...Portugal, Spain, Vietnam, Philippines...so many other interesting places to see that are far cheaper and a lot more fun. I do think the majority of people staying here are old and basically like the idea of purchasing young ladies..me i am not even 40 and in good shape so that does not bother me one bit as I can get girls anywhere in the world!

Surely a such true and handsome Aussie would never have left home?

[4MyEgo]

51 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Medicare is one of those government services where the devil is in the detail. It doesn't matter to me, because I have top level private health insurance in Australia.

However, if you are a person in the public health system, there is a detail called a waiting list. If it's not emergency medical care, you go on one of them. Hip replacement, spinal fusion, knee replacement - they're all what's called elective surgery, and the waiting lists can be up to two years. That's OK if you are not in pain. If you are, you are SOOL.

[4MyEgo]

40 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

7 years is a long time!

We can put in a plan, that's all, and hope, because without hope, we have no hope.

 

Your friend went out young at 59, my brother went out at 49, me, almost, @ 47, but have hung on ????

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[VocalNeal]

I came to SE Asia because there are palm trees and sunshine. I'm still here.

[4MyEgo]

20 minutes ago, nauseus said:

Done. I still think you should change it.

Ok, ok, ok 

[nauseus]

4 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

Yes, there is one thing you need to deal with is your mind. I find a mai bpen rai attitude has cured most my feelings on things I do not care about in Thailand and that comes solely from your mindset. A year ago I went home to Oz and I had a wonderful time and I came back seriously disenfranchised with my life. I hated everything here for about a period of three months until I realized it was my mindset that was holding me back from having a good life. At that point I just let it all go, swept it under the carpet and moved forward. The only thing is I miss my family (Mum and Dad) in Australia a great deal and that is really about the only thing that makes me sad.

 

The other thing here is boredom. Many of my friends (and myself) left busy work environments that had a lot of stress. Just being stressed out every day from working but thinking that was the sole purpose to life was a hard habit to kick. I found it so hard to settle down and stay still. I think that boredom plays a large part in how people live anywhere in the world. You need to stay busy and stay positive for you to be happy anywhere. There is plenty to keep one busy here if you look for something to do. I have a garden and that keeps me busy in the morning. I have two Shih Tzu's that are only 8 months old and they give me much pleasure as I am able to spend time with them at home every day with out being rushed off my feet. Small simple pleasures in life now mean a great deal to me.

 

Living in Thailand is not easy. Neither is living in Australia. Living almost anywhere is not easy at times. Depends solely on what you see as a better option. We all have our reasons on where we live and what we do.

 

 

Two Shih Tzu's? Bless you twice.