What do you wish you had known before you moved to Thailand

[IvGeg]

Under the impressiong on a simmilar topic about things to bring to Thailand. Now a simmilar questiong from a young and naive man who is considering to move to SE Asia. From that I've read on TV: Don't buy, just rent. Don't put here more than you can afford to lose.

[mstevens]

I wish I had realised that to most Thais we are not actually that special. We're just another person.   Back in the day before I lived in Thailand I found the Thais treated me extremely well when I was there on holiday and I mistakenly thought they thought I was special....which gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. Once I moved there, I realised that they saw me as just another foreigner. And that is fine. Don't go thinking that you're special or they think you're special.

[Kadilo]

Move here? You will be lucky to get a holiday here the way things are going. 

[mike787]

30 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Move here? You will be lucky to get a holiday here the way things are going. 

One of the best TRUE statements...good luck moving her now.  NO WAY!!!!!  

[IvGeg]

30 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Move here? You will be lucky to get a holiday here the way things are going. 

Not completely move, but come, because the company wants to extend business to TH. So I might have to go for quite a while after all the mess will settle down. I've been in Thailand for holidays, but as I know it is not the same as living. So I don't want to find myself in a difficult situation. Because of that I decided to ask more experienced comrades and don't be so naive at first. Thank you for your replies. I appreciate any advices and thoughts.

[IvGeg]

6 minutes ago, mike787 said:

One of the best TRUE statements...good luck moving her now.  NO WAY!!!!!  

Not now. In 1.5 year if everything is fine. But I rather start to prepare earlier, than it will be too late. 

[Mama Noodle]

Keep Thailand as a holiday destination, spend money and go home. Don’t invest here unless it’s disposable income and only if it’s a second holiday home, not your primary. 
 

Local Government healthcare is good for most basic things but serious/complicated/expensive things like cancer are difficult and pain management is abysmal. 
 

If you’re employed on an expat package make sure you’re package includes western global insurance and covers you for the main 3 International hospitals in Bangkok. 
 

Thailand is a money hole if you want to have a similar living standard to what you had in the west, and what you spend here will be very hard to get back. 
 

I’ll think of more later. 

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, Mama Noodle said:

 

 

If you’re employed on an expat package make sure you’re package includes western global insurance and covers you for the main 3 International hospitals in Bangkok. 
 

 

 

Mine only covers me at the main ones in Pattaya and Sriracha, should I ask for it to be changed ?

[Mike Teavee]

I was lucky in that my move to SE Asia was to Singapore (basically "Asia for Beginners") and was able to visit Thailand many times over the 12 years before moving here full time & for the last 18 months living in SG I was doing 10 days SG/5 days TH so had already made the transition from "Tourist" to "Resident" (Had Bank Account, Rented Condo, Non-O Visa etc...) & if I could go back to the start again I would have:-

1. Transferred as much money across as I could - I was getting around 55:1 THB:GBP & 26:1 SGD:THB - Now more like 39.8:1 & 22.7:1)
2. Bought a Condo in Bangkok
3. Drip invested into SET  

 

My point is it's 1 thing to say don't invest/bring money across when you're retired & set-up for life in your own country (you don't want to be risking that, though CV19, Brexit, GFC etc... have taught us that our investments are exactly super safe there), but quite another when your young, working here & need to be investing for your future, especially if you plan to continue to live here when you stop working. 

 

 

[Mama Noodle]

19 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

 

Mine only covers me at the main ones in Pattaya and Sriracha, should I ask for it to be changed ?

They should really cover you for all of them as long as they are international standard. I’m catching your sarcasm but my point is to make sure you’re covered for International Hospitals. The main ones in Bangkok have the most vast facilities and specialist doctors. 
 

I should also include in my list to live in Bangkok or within 2 hours drive of Bangkok/Swampy.  

[Ventenio]

i'll bite:

 

1.  most of the cities are very bland, horrible architecture, and boring

2.  food is average, on average.  

3.  hot, hot, hot, really hot. life-changing hot

4.  money is everything

5.  every relationship will have drama

6.  most farangs have way too many issues

7.  never ride a motorbike

 

8-100:  Smoke, pollution, it can kill.  it's no joke.  

 

pro's

 

1.  there are lots of places where people really like you, friendly, smile, not fake

2.  smaller cities are better

3.  hotels can be cheap

4.  cheap massages

5.  can exercise anytime, never too cold

6.  getting a girlfriend is easy

7.  money can go about 3x farther here

8.  easy to stay fit

9.  you can improve yourself

10.  you can find amazing value if you try

 

 

summary:  Wherever you go, there you are. 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Ventenio

[Thainess]

Don't buy (marry/live with) a woman, just rent. Works out much cheaper and gives you more peace of mind and freedom.

[Mama Noodle]

Also, don’t listen to the nay-sayers. There are plenty of good, loyal thai women out there who would give you every Satang they had in a committed and honest relationship if needed. It’s on the man to find those women though. Common sense prevails here. 

[Tagged]

14 minutes ago, Thainess said:

Don't buy (marry/live with) a woman, just rent. Works out much cheaper and gives you more peace of mind and freedom.

I would say that depends on your approach and mindset you carry with you, as the values and respect for for people and life! 

Not everyone is comfortable to buy and rent humans, or feel good about it. 

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Tagged

[rumak]

I wish i had known what the winning mega bucks lottery numbers were going to be.

If I had that 287 million dollars I sure would have had some nicer hotel rooms.

 

"knowing"  anything is impossible .  only fact in life is that things , places, people,  always are changing.

older people usually think things change for the worse (  except for those guys who come here and find their truly different and special tee rak   cough cough)

Younger people often think they have found paradise.  Well,  used to be that way.   But,  things are changing in that regard as well.

Bring a change of underwear.

[luckyluke]

8 minutes ago, Tagged said:

Not everyone is comfortable to buy and rent humans, or feel good about it. 

 

Fair enough,

but most of us have natural sex desires. A one night stand is not that common here ( Well was anyway). 

So buying "intimicy" is the most "easy way". 

One can have a night out, go to movie, restaurant, club or whatever, both parties know very well how it will end. 

[Tagged]

2 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

Fair enough,

but most of us have natural sex desires. A one night stand is not that common here ( Well was anyway). 

So buying "intimicy" is the most "easy way". 

One can have a night out, go to movie, restaurant, club or whatever, both parties know very well how it will end. 

Different scenes different stories, for good or for bad! 
 

Different meeting a freelance or buying one girl from a fish tank and everything between!

[rumak]

36 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

i'll bite:

 

1.  most of the cities are very bland, horrible architecture, and boring

2.  food is average, on average.  

3.  hot, hot, hot, really hot. life-changing hot

4.  money is everything

5.  every relationship will have drama

6.  most farangs have way too many issues

7.  never ride a motorbike

 

8-100:  Smoke, pollution, it can kill.  it's no joke.  

 

pro's

 

1.  there are lots of places where people really like you, friendly, smile, not fake

2.  smaller cities are better

3.  hotels can be cheap

4.  cheap massages

5.  can exercise anytime, never too cold

6.  getting a girlfriend is easy

7.  money can go about 3x farther here

8.  easy to stay fit

9.  you can improve yourself

10.  you can find amazing value if you try

 

 

summary:  Wherever you go, there you are. 

cons:  i agree on  1, 4, 5,  and especially 6

pros:  agree on almost all ........ though number 9  must have a very big  IF .........as an addendum

 

summary:   when i was young my first experience i did not know if i was coming or going

                 

[rumak]

30 minutes ago, Tagged said:

Not everyone is comfortable to buy and rent humans, or feel good about it. 

at least what men pay for there is usually honesty in the transaction.

 

with women the hidden agenda is in such fine print that 99% of men can never see it

[Puchaiyank]

How easy and inexpensive it is to extend one's yearly visa...wish we could do it more often!  ????

[luckyluke]

11 minutes ago, Tagged said:

Different scenes different stories, for good or for bad! 
 

Different meeting a freelance or buying one girl from a fish tank and everything between!

Not agree here, in whatever circumstance there is the money factor. 

The choice of the company, and where from it is taken, is personal. 

[Tagged]

6 minutes ago, rumak said:

at least what men pay for there is usually honesty in the transaction.

 

with women the hidden agenda is in such fine print that 99% of men can never see it

In a relationship it is give and take for the worse or better. Some never realize that either

[luckyluke]

1 minute ago, Tagged said:

In a relationship it is give and take for the worse or better. Some never realize that either

In a steady relationship, it is, yes. 

 

And what confused you in my previous post please? 

[Don Mega]

5 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

How easy and inexpensive it is to extend one's yearly visa...wish we could do it more often!  ????

Agree 100%, mine costs me nothing and I only have to front immigration for 10 minutes every 2 years.

[rumak]

Just now, Tagged said:

In a relationship it is give and take for the worse or better. Some never realize that either

not my definition.     mine is more like    work together with a common purpose:   help each

                                                            other,  and respect each other    

                                                            

[Tagged]

2 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

In a steady relationship, it is, yes. 

 

And what confused you in my previous post please? 

Picking a girl from fish tank is the same as meeting a freelancer on a night club?

[4MyEgo]

3 hours ago, IvGeg said:

From that I've read on TV: Don't buy, just rent. Don't put here more than you can afford to lose.

Wise words from the TFV members, and I agree, however if you find a good woman and decide to stay and buy or build, the 10% rule should apply, e.g. don't spend more than you can afford, that's the 10% rule, the good side of it is, if your relationship lasts a lifetime, you get to live in it while enjoying it, and she gets to keep it when you are gone, i.e. if you departed permanently in a grave or gone somewhere else to live, so at least her life would be better than when you met her, but as I said above, i.e. "if you find a good woman", and they are out there, so sifting through the bad ones shouldn't be too hard if your streetwise, ALWAYS remember finances stay separate, therefore they don't need to know your worth, i.e. it's none of their businesses, you provide them with security and they provide you with what you expect from a woman, and yes, that's a wide open question, but I think you get my drift.

 

It doesn't matter where you live, all places will have issues, but here for me it's smoke, rubbish, soi dogs, the weather at times, corruption and so one, however you either learn to live with it or go back home, as for the cost of living here, don't think it's cheap, i.e. unless you want to eat Thai food all of the time, personally I like good clean healthy farang food without the chemicals, additives, etc, etc, etc, so look out for the import taxes on those.

 

If your going to be active in that department downstairs, stock up and check the expiry dates on the size of the condoms you like back in your country, as the ones here are small and tight, maybe good for the locals and some TVF members, but I prefer a larger size as they are more comfortable......so to speak ????

 

Last but not least HEALTH INSURANCE, if your employer provides you with it, all and good, just makes sure it's not with an international insurer, if they don't provide you with it, just get it, doesn't matter the cost, you cannot afford to go without here, trust me.

 

  

[Tagged]

1 minute ago, rumak said:

not my definition.     mine is more like    work together with a common purpose:   help each

                                                            other,  and respect each other    

                                                            

You have a  better deffinition explanation than me, in my eyes same same.

[innosiem]

what a geek is in Thailand and how normal it is
(kik keek geek)

if you are young, this is something you may want to know????

[luckyluke]

1 minute ago, Don Mega said:

Agree 100%, mine costs me nothing and I only have to front immigration for 10 minutes every 2 years.

Good for you, but for the most of us it is not the case. 

I personally don't complain at all (so far), 2 times a year, 1 day applying for extension (usually 10 minutes, waiting time not included), the next day picking up passport (fast). 

Immigration office Pattaya/Jomtien since 2000.