Bones of their A$$...

[Nanaplaza666]

7 hours ago, DDBKK said:

I'm unsure if you are replying to the OP or another poster but for someone who doesn't care much about the topic you sure are committed to bumping the thread. 

Another one talking in 3rd person . I thought you were the OP ?? What's up with everybody talking in 3rd person these days , is it because during lockdown people started talking to themselfs so now they have multiple personalities ?? 

[john69]

8 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Does it really matter?

You beat me to it.... Amazing what people are concerned about in this world. I assume his childhood dream was to be a sociologist.

[EVENKEEL]

3 hours ago, kenk24 said:

I guess not so for them... some seem comfortable with next to nothing... 

 

and I imagine some are not employable... 

 

I had a guy tell me that there were 2 baht on the sidewalk a couple of blocks away and I could go get them... he had a bad back and couldn't bend... 

Was  he Dutch??

[OneMoreFarang]

I am sure lots of people have reasons why they don't return "back home". And I am also sure many of these reasons are not for the public. Maybe an arrest warrant, outstanding payments to the bank, the ex, the children, little chance to get a job which makes money, stress with the family back home, and and and.

 

And like others mentioned above: Going "home", finding somewhere to live, finding a job, paying for everything before that fist paycheck, cost a lot of money.

 

I.e. if I would want to go home without money I would probably have to stay with my 80+ old parents and hope they feed me. Then I would have to take the bus to the city and try to get a job, and I would need warm clothes for that cold climate, and and and. That doesn't sound like something I would want to do. Luckily I have work in Thailand. 

[Ctkong]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Everybody has their own circumstances. I chose to live in Thailand rather hand to mouth each month by renting out my house in the UK as my only income so I could live with my wife. Course when the guy I was renting out to , turned out to be a drug fueled unemployed hippie that falsified all his documents it fell apart and I had to return for a year to redo my house up (yes it took that long as he wrecked it and I only had universal credit). Now, I have a good tenant (one that I worked with previously and know his work ethic), an early 55 year old pension and a nice lump sum for emergencies and whereas previously I did not meet a lot of the financial requirement before, I do now.

 

I worried that the 39,000 baht a monthly income was not enough to live on with my wife and kid back then, that the rest of the farang world in Pattaya had much more income than us. but we lived pretty much OK. Ate well, always paid the bills and had happy life with each other which was really all we wanted. My wife was an ex-teacher and not a demanding bar girl which helped enormously !

 

Since returning to Pattaya I found out that the 39,000 we used to live on was quite higher than what a lot of my friends actually have now. I know Frenchmen living on 30,000 a month, men from Australia living on 32,000 and others just on UK state pension which I guess is a little less than 30k.

 

Their reason for living and staying in Thailand is pretty much they have nothing back in their own country to go back for - no family, no jobs (too old) and no house other than a box on the street. A beach ion the sun, is a better option for most old people than a cardboard house in the snow.

Course that said they were mostly daft enough to spend all their money in the sweetie shop.

 

 

 

Given your information about those foreigners with no intention of going back since they have got nothing to go back to, can you blame the Thai authorities for their stringent requirements for long stay ? Given that those old foreigners ended up destitute when their medical problems catches up with them? They are barely existing as it is.

[Enoon]

For OP:

 

"what they think motivates them to remain close to/actually destitute in Asia?"

 

They can do no other than be the people they are, and follow their own trajectory........just as you can do no other.

 

There are as many reasons why a person may be not be the person you are as there are people in the world.

 

Everyone is compelled to run the race in their own way.

 

Not everyone finishes the race.

 

One may win many sprints against the Reaper, but he always wins the Marathon.

 

"Enjoy the rest of your day".

 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2020 by Enoon

[Max69xl]

9 hours ago, DDBKK said:

I take it your user name is supposed to be ironic then....

There are people in Thailand with very low pensions, but they get by. They won't survive financially in their home country and might not even have a place to stay. Maybe no family and they don't want to sleep on the couch in the home of a friend. They don't have that many options. 

[Enoon]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I've always found it a bit weird when people worry about what everyone else is doing.

Live your own life, ignore everyone else outside those living with you.

 

My guess is that the OP seeks approval from others.

 

Support and reinforcement for his own disapproval of others.

 

People are like that.

 

TVF frequently providing the distilled essence of it.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2020 by Enoon

[EVENKEEL]

Not long ago there was a fella whose poster name was CanarySun who lived in Pattaya and had a lovely life with 10,000bht/mo. He didn't drink, smoke or hang out with loose women.

[EvetsKram]

Get off your high horse & stop judging what you don't know.  People like you are so lame,  crawl back under your rock

[easton]

I imagine because for some people going back to their home country would be an even worse option.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Not everyone comes from the UK !!

Thousands of pensioners in the UK die every winter through cold related illnesses because they cannot afford to heat their home, they find themselves with a choice of eating or heating their home.

[Don Mega]

36 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Thousands of pensioners in the UK die every winter through cold related illnesses because they cannot afford to heat their home, they find themselves with a choice of eating or heating their home.

And zero relevance to someone on the bones off their a$$ in Thailand !!

[Tropposurfer]

Being a non drinker, and don't pay-for-play most of the time now as I have some lovely lady friends. I live on 1000 - 1200 AUD a month in Phuket easily. I eat well, go to a very good gym, eat a Western styled meal about once a week with my date and enjoy a nice meal overlooking the sea somewhere. But, I hang and shop smart e.g. I go to Thai coffee shops with my gym buddies / Thai and falang friends - not Junceylon or Central Mall, Starbucks or other tourist traps in Patong.

I live a quiet, but very healthy lifestyle, date. Close to the beach in a quiet and comfortable modern large M/2 condo with a deep beautiful pool amongst trees and greenery. I have designed a patio garden and amassed a nice collection of plants, decorated the walkway patio along to my condo with nice pots and plants as well as the end of the walkway which all the guests who visit love and the management are stoked about as I paid for and tend them all perfectly. I have a fish pond urn/pot, some pin-garden lighting which shows off the plants beautifully at night, got a bunch of exquisite orchids and other plants all for a few hundred dollars ???? 

House set up cost me initially on average about 2000 AUD budget per month for a few months to get stuff sorted in the kitchen softer bed, linen, surfboard rack for my cute Click 150 etc.

[Tropposurfer]

2 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

And zero relevance to someone on the bones off their a$$ in Thailand !!

Yes mate this is sad huh. The same thing happens in Australia in the mid to southern parts. I still think that government should help more with this. Our mob privatised the electricity sector some years back and its just gone through the roof for costs. Don't know about UK but our last few  government have really dropped the ball with planning and supplying affordable electricity. I know whats it's like to sit in the kitchen and have the oven on to heat a room at night and sleeping in tracksuits, beanie, and socks to not be kept awake by the cold at night. Terrible for older aged folks to be left like this in our countries!

[Tropposurfer]

1 hour ago, Enoon said:

For OP:

 

"what they think motivates them to remain close to/actually destitute in Asia?"

 

They can do no other than be the people they are, and follow their own trajectory........just as you can do no other.

 

There are as many reasons why a person may be not be the person you are as there are people in the world.

 

Everyone is compelled to run the race in their own way.

 

Not everyone finishes the race.

feeling sad that 

One may win many sprints against the Reaper, but he always wins the Marathon.

 

"Enjoy the rest of your day".

 

 

 

 

I only read the first part of the OP post, then saw your offering, and went back n read the whole thing slowly and carefully. I admit to having a feeling of sadness at seeing the words he wrote and which you kindly quoted. I then had a thought about this attitude and the US at the moment and how many seem to hold a similar attitude and look where it has gotten them and is rapidly getting them.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

Thousands of pensioners in the UK die every winter through cold related illnesses because they cannot afford to heat their home, they find themselves with a choice of eating or heating their home.

Not like the truth tropposurfer?

[JackThompson]

12 hours ago, DDBKK said:

I wonder how many thousands of farang are living in Thailand on the bones of their asses when you include the mentally unstable like the beggars along lower Suk in BKK, Beach bums in Patts etc

From Thailand's perspective, this is easy to fix.  Arrest foreigners found in such conditions for vagrancy, if they are homeless / cannot show they have a place to live, and deport/ban them.  As to your now-criminal acquantance, he will get an even less appealing result - Thai prison and then deportation/banning.

 

As to the others, if they can meet immigration's rules - or afford immigration's preferred route of buying their extensions via an agent - given there are No Handouts for foreigners here, they likely have many times an average Thai salary to spend into the economy, so I don't see the problem.  They must like living here more than their passport-countries - as I know I do. 

 

If I had to leave Thailand (could happen, if I cannot get a Visa due to closed-borders and corrupt immigration blocks my legit-extension), I would move elsehwere in the region.  If that were impossible, there are many other areas of the world with low-overhead - and I can earn my living anywhere with an Internet connection (though currently have a Thai employer).  My passport country is just above North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and similar, as far as "go to next" options. 

[DDBKK]

Some pretty thought provoking responses and some that have clearly touched a very raw nerve for others. 

 

Definitely a bit strange how some feel offended by a conversation on a Thai centric board that relates to a topic so prevalent within the country but obviously quite telling. I genuinely feel for the guys who haven't chose the low income lifestyle but are forced into it due to unforeseen circumstances. A lot of us have been there in our home countries in our lifetime and I refuse to accept it's any more fun in Asia than sitting in a dingy apartment back home. A beach is just a beach after the 365th time you've seen it that year. 

 

Personally I quite enjoy living a more frugal lifestyle in Thailand but frugal also requires good healthy relationships with others to maintain some decent mental health which in turn will should result in balanced decisions being made. You remove those healthy relations with others....  

 

Edited June 28, 2020 by DDBKK

[JackThompson]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am sure lots of people have reasons why they don't return "back home". And I am also sure many of these reasons are not for the public. Maybe an arrest warrant, outstanding payments to the bank, the ex, the children, little chance to get a job which makes money, stress with the family back home, and and and.

If USA - you Lose Your Passport (revoked) for back child support, bench-warrants (maybe not traffic tickets), or signficant back-taxes.  Those folks won't last long.

 

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And like others mentioned above: Going "home", finding somewhere to live, finding a job, paying for everything before that fist paycheck, cost a lot of money.

 

I.e. if I would want to go home without money I would probably have to stay with my 80+ old parents and hope they feed me. Then I would have to take the bus to the city and try to get a job, and I would need warm clothes for that cold climate, and and and. That doesn't sound like something I would want to do. Luckily I have work in Thailand. 

I have enough nest-egg to make it to some job in the USA, but East Indians are the preferred hire in STEM (businesses can avoid paying SS-taxes with an OTP Visa hire of a non-American), followed by anyone non-white, followed by anyone non-male, especially if "straight" - so the  "systemic-racism" puts folks like me at the bottom of the pile of applications. 

 

Much better to live somewhere with good food and low-overhead - and remote-work is always an option, but glad I also have work in Thailand for now. 
Beats "Living in a Van Down By the River":

 

[JackThompson]

3 hours ago, Ctkong said:

Given your information about those foreigners with no intention of going back since they have got nothing to go back to, can you blame the Thai authorities for their stringent requirements for long stay ? Given that those old foreigners ended up destitute when their medical problems catches up with them? They are barely existing as it is.

The "stringent requirement" is 15K baht to an agent - so, yes, to the extent this is even a problem worth worrying about, they are 100% responsible for it.  All they had to do to fix the "problem" is ban agents.  If homeless-bums are roaming about, just pick them up and deport them.  That shouldn't take more than a day's work.

 

As to foreigners not paying medical bills:  Add 100 Baht to each person upon entry, to cover ALL unpaid-foreigners medical bills (not just retired folks), with 50% of the take left-over to help poorer Thais.  That's based on the last "unpaid foreigner's hospital bill" numbers I saw.

[izod10]

Be surprised how many are in Thailand on the 800,000 method and living on fresh air

[Grusa]

Watch this, and understand:-

 For bankers, read hear the entire financial services industry con game. Some of us lost most or all of our private pension funds. "It's an Equitable life, Henry", say no more for those affected!

 

Here, my wife and I can afford to live, on my govt. pension plus rental on our house - she was not old enough to get her pension until recently (delayed 7 years by govt decree!), suddenly our circumstances have improved. We do not, and have lost interest in, eati g out all the time, bars, etc., and we manage to indulge our not noticeably cheap recreational activities without breaking any laws.??

 

If we go back, we have to live in our house and lose half our income, plus we cannot even begin to enjoy the standards we do here.

 

But, if we do get too old and doddery we can go back if we have to. Frankly, I would rather die, and will do so.

[473geo]

I actually enjoy being frugal, it allows me to be generous on occasion

[TimBKK]

3 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Not long ago there was a fella whose poster name was CanarySun who lived in Pattaya and had a lovely life with 10,000bht/mo. He didn't drink, smoke or hang out with loose women.

Always enjoyed his posts, @canarysun - good idea to avoid loose women too, although finding a tight one in Pattaya is Mission Impossible ????????

[rvaviator]

8 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I've always found it a bit weird when people worry about what everyone else is doing.

Live your own life, ignore everyone else outside those living with you.

Maybe they suffering from 'net curtain' syndrome ????

[simon43]

I live very happily in Laos for less than $1,000 USD per month, which covers my house rent (3 beds, garden, 100 metres to the Mekong river), food, drink, expat medical insurance etc. I earn considerably more than that as an online science teacher, and so am able to save $$ each month.

 

A couple of years ago, I seriously considered returning to live in Europe, such as France.  But quite frankly, I would be worse off in any EU country.  In any case, the 'western world' seems to be going to the dogs! In the case of the UK, it is already like a stinking dog poo ????

[mickylongtime]

Hello.

I know many guys who seem to compete with each other as to what little  they can spend each month, myself I spend enough to live well, but remember what my mum n dad said don't spend it all save a little, I would think that not to many die skint and that there was more money that they could have used but didn't.

[CorpusChristie]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

I live very happily in Laos for less than $1,000 USD per month, which covers my house rent (3 beds, garden, 100 metres to the Mekong river), food, drink, expat medical insurance etc. I earn considerably more than that as an online science teacher, and so am able to save $$ each month.

 

A couple of years ago, I seriously considered returning to live in Europe, such as France.  But quite frankly, I would be worse off in any EU country.  In any case, the 'western world' seems to be going to the dogs! In the case of the UK, it is already like a stinking dog poo ????

You are coonnnsssiddderrrbly richer than me 

[ericthai]

Wasn't there a TV member Parrot or something like that, claimed he lived on what 10K or something like that a month. Would go around bragging about it.

 

I'm sure there are hundreds of reasons why or why not!