Would you do it again?

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, rumak said:

 

i've lived in a few really nice places .    Hill Country in Texas  ( people fairly nice, back 25 years ago)

 

and Sonoma County in N. Calif.  ( beautiful,  clean, nice weather )  .... but taken over by yuppies

 

Its just the  censored ,  censored,  and censored   way of life / attitudes / mindsets   that I would

never go back to.   ( well,  unless they start outlawing air conditioners in Thailand)

 

 

And the quality of life in the US, and especially California, has declined dramatically. Everyone I know who can afford it, has left that state. And Sonoma is gorgeous (some of my favorites wines), but it is not what it used to be, with the constant fires, ridiculous taxes, oppressive law enforcement, and extremely parched landscape. 

Edited February 26, 2021 by spidermike007

[Denim]

On 2/23/2021 at 10:20 PM, rumak said:

Is there some way I can do it all again ?   ????????????

 

I  certainly would like to .... with Nit ,  and a few others

 

I hope you don't mean Nit from Thermaes ? I'd still like to meet her even if she is 60 now.

[rumak]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

And the quality of life in the US, and especially California, has declined dramatically. Everyone I know who can afford it, has left that state. And Sonoma is gorgeous (some of my favorites wines), but it is not what it used to be, with the constant fires, ridiculous taxes, oppressive law enforcement, and extremely parched landscape. 

i guess I am a "mor doo)  then.    cause i felt the oppression coming a long long time ago.  

such a shame to see what is geographically such a beautiful country ( and Northern Calif was

top of the list)   turn into such a wasteland ...in more ways than one .

[rumak]

9 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

I hope you don't mean Nit from Thermaes ? I'd still like to meet her even if she is 60 now.

oh,  those Nits  and  those  Nois .........   sexual healing ,  but sometimes emotional nightmares  55

 

most all the names i forget ......  but not Nit from  Buriram 

[OneMoreFarang]

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

What happens if they all call you at the same time? ????

That reminds me of my friend who likes to have a good time but doesn't want another gf or 2nd wife. Sometime when he is active with the girls they receive a phone call from their so called boyfriend and they ask my friend politely if they can pick up the phone. Sure baby, go ahead as long as I can continue with my activity.

And then when her boyfriend hears noises which he didn't expect to hear: No problem darling, that's the sound from the TV. ???? 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, rumak said:

i guess I am a "mor doo)  then.    cause i felt the oppression coming a long long time ago.  

such a shame to see what is geographically such a beautiful country ( and Northern Calif was

top of the list)   turn into such a wasteland ...in more ways than one .

The whole of the west has gone the same way.

[BenDeCosta]

If I had known about the hassles with everything from getting a bank account, immigration stress and the inability to find good quality meat and alcoholic drinks, I probably wouldn't have come to Thailand. But I'm still meeting 20-something girls on various apps so it might have been worth it.

[bermondburi]

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Some sentiments I have expressed in the past. This is an entirely subjective topic, of course, but some of us live very good lives here. Some of us have been fortunate enough to find an outstanding woman, who is delightful to be around, on a daily basis, always has our back, and is fun, smart, and lovely. In my case, that still applies after being with her for well over a decade. For me, that likelihood of finding that back in the US, would be very low. So, that is a big factor for me. The second factor is just the quality of life. Sure, I miss alot of the culture back home. The theatre, independent film (which I can download here with no issues at all, and a super fast 550 mbps fiber optic connection, at under 800 baht per month!), stand up comedy, live jazz, fine wine with an amazing selection, at great prices, etc. But I have a lovely home that I rent, for about 10% of what I would pay in California, I live very well on an income which is not huge, have access to great health care, at a tiny fraction of what it costs in the US, and do not have to put up with alot of the aggravation that I had to when I lived back there. And I like most Thai people. They are far more lighthearted than the average American. When I go back there I sometimes try to express some of that lightness, and get people to laugh. Wow. It takes alot of effort these days!
 
Thailand is still reasonable. It used to be cheap. Has not been cheap for a long time. But, it is still reasonable. I know people who pay 10,000 baht a month for newer 3 bedroom houses in nice towns. In major cities in the US? $2000-3800 a month. That is 120,000 baht!
Anything to do with labor is very inexpensive here, and ridiculously over priced in LA.

I had my motorbike seat recently redone on my scooter. 400 baht. A friend of mine had similar work done in the US. $275.

Had a big tree trimmed here. 500 baht. My friend in LA is having his pine tree trimmed. $1,500! 
I recently had a guy come over and insulate my ceiling. I bought the insulation and paid him 2000 baht for labor. In the US? $500 and up.
I recently had an electrician do some work on the house. Nearly a full day of work. Paid him 1000 baht. In the US? $500 and up.
An oil change for my scooter costs me 200 baht, with Castrol oil. In the US? $50 to $75.

I had some work done on my motorbike. Required alot of the bike to be torn down, to get to the starter. 3 hours work for 400 baht, at a dealer. In the US. $200 minimum. Likely higher. 
When I travel here I stay in nice four star hotels in Bangkok. Usually 1800-2000 baht. Now, during Covid. Great hotels for 1,000 baht. In the US? $130 for a crappy motel room. $200 and up for a nice room.
I eat well here. In a smaller town you can get a three course meal for 150-250 baht. In the US? 2000 baht and up, plus tax and a nearly mandatory 15% tip, at a basic restaurant. You want nice? The sky is the limit. 

I visit the emergency room here to visit a specialist, and with x-rays I am out the door for 2000 baht, at a private hospital. In the US? $300-2000. An anecdote on this subject. A good friend of mine got in a bad motorcycle accident some time ago. He almost lost his leg. He got his first of 11 operations at Bangkok Hospital Samui. It costs him over a million baht. They wanted to do a second procedure. They quoted him 1,400,000 baht. He decided to transfer to Bangkok. He was quoted 460,000 baht for the same procedure, at a top private hospital there. The surgeon told him that he worked at a public hospital too, and could do the same operation there, for alot less money. He told him he would get him a quote. In the interim, my friend called a good friend of his, in San Diego, who is an orthopedic surgeon. Since my friend is a retired chiropractor, he knew all the terminology, and explained what he needed, and asked for the best price. His friend called him back the next day, and quoted him $960,000, with cash discounts! The local surgeon here got back to him, and told him he could do it for 46,000 baht. He transferred, and they did all the rest of his procedures. So, 1,400,000 at Bangkok Hospital, 460,000 at Vejthani Hospital, and 46,000 at the public hospital, with an excellent surgeon vs. 29,000,000 baht in the US. Again, no complaints from this peanut gallery.

Friends of mine, who are single, enjoy the company of a young, beautiful woman for a couple of hours, for 2500 baht. In the US? $800 an hour now for a pretty gal, with alot of attitude. I could go on and on, all day long. I live at a level here, that I would never be able to live at, in the US, in most of Europe, in Oz, or Canada. Yes, the higher baht is an annoyance. And yes things are more expensive than they used to be. But, it is very relative.

Sure, Thailand has changed. My first trip here was in 1976! It was so much different than now. The politics here are absolutely regressive. The army is horrendous. Will that ever improve? I think so. I think the youth will eventually oust them, as they are virtually useless to Thai society, with the exception of protecting the elite. those in power and the super wealthy. But alot of things here have improved since then. The infrastructure here is quite good. Sure they could use a high speed rail. That would be amazing. Hopefully it will happen.

 

All I know, is that every day I wake up, I am very glad to be here, very glad to be with the woman I am with, and thankful for my life. Would I feel the same way in the US? I seriously doubt it. Most of my friends back in the US, say they would trade positions with me, in a heartbeat, if they could. I believe them. And I feel for them. The quality of life in Zombieland is a pale shadow of what it used to be. No thanks.

So cheap labour and cheap hookers then. 

[bermondburi]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I guess many of us just have to think about the weather back home. And then compare that with Thailand. Case closed.

Why is the weather in Thailand so great? Don't hear many Thais saying how great it is. 

[bermondburi]

How many people would live in Thailand if money was no object might be a more pertinent question to ask. 

[Leaver]

2 hours ago, bermondburi said:

How many people would live in Thailand if money was no object might be a more pertinent question to ask. 

 

How many people would live in Thailand if they couldn't hook up with a girl half their age might be a more pertinent question to ask.  ????

[OneMoreFarang]

10 hours ago, bermondburi said:

How many people would live in Thailand if money was no object might be a more pertinent question to ask. 

Ask the question!

One of the nice things in Thailand is that people can get their 40B noodle soup on the street which tastes good and/or they can go to nice restaurants and spend a couple of thousand THB per person. I do both and I like it.

I can imagine spending (a lot) more money in Thailand and having a "better" life. I am sure there is somewhere a nice villa on a white beach.

But no other country comes to my mind where I would want to live permanently if I would have a lot of money. Holiday here and there, why not. But permanently? Where is it so much better?

 

[OneMoreFarang]

8 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

How many people would live in Thailand if they couldn't hook up with a girl half their age might be a more pertinent question to ask.  ????

If they are half my age then I normally ask them if they have a younger sister. ???? 

[BritManToo]

 

17 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

But no other country comes to my mind where I would want to live permanently if I would have a lot of money. Holiday here and there, why not. But permanently? Where is it so much better?

Not sure better, but Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam are probably as good.

[micmichd]

11 hours ago, bermondburi said:

Why is the weather in Thailand so great? Don't hear many Thais saying how great it is. 

But I did. From Thais that worked in Germany. 

[micmichd]

11 hours ago, bermondburi said:

So cheap labour and cheap hookers then. 

Not to forget Western Cheap Charlies that promise their Mia a rose garden when in fact they have nothing. 

[BritManToo]

11 hours ago, bermondburi said:

Why is the weather in Thailand so great? Don't hear many Thais saying how great it is. 

It's not got freezing sideways rain like the UK nearly every day.

[BritManToo]

Just now, micmichd said:

Not to forget Western Cheap Charlies that promise their Mia a rose garden when in fact they have nothing. 

I promised my pretend wife 10kbht/month, and she's still around so it must be enough.

[micmichd]

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I promised my pretend wife 10kbht/month, and she's still around so it must be enough.

That's OK then. 

I mean those weekend millionaires that are actually living in their mother's house in the West where all kinds of greedy heirs and heiresses are already waiting for the old lady to die. 

[spidermike007]

16 hours ago, bermondburi said:

So cheap labour and cheap hookers then. 

I tend not to use the word hookers. I prefer not to judge them for the choices they make in life. None of us have any idea from what they came, and the challenges they face, in trying to make a living here. Many of them are kind, lovely, and decent souls, just trying to help out their families, and provide a better life for themselves. I cannot fault them for that.

 

Yes, relatively speaking, the TLC is reasonable here. Was there an actual point to your post, besides that insinuation?

[bermondburi]

1 minute ago, spidermike007 said:

I tend not to use the word hookers. I prefer not to judge them for the choices they make in life. None of us have any idea from what they came, and the challenges they face, in trying to make a living here. Many of them are kind, lovely, and decent souls, just trying to help out their families, and provide a better life for themselves. I cannot fault them for that.

 

Yes, relatively speaking, the TLC is reasonable here. Was there an actual point to your post, besides that insinuation?

The point was that you spent a very long time detailing why you're here, and the prices for services entailed, which basically came down to cheap labour and cheap hookers. 

 

You getting it now? ????️????️ 

[Ralf001]

22 hours ago, simon43 said:

What happens if they all call you at the same time? ????

 

The hipsters call that a Zoom Meeting.

[Ralf001]

1 minute ago, bermondburi said:

The point was that you spent a very long time detailing why you're here, and the prices for services entailed, which basically came down to cheap labour and cheap hookers. 

 

You getting it now? ????️????️ 

 

Cheap labour/cheap hooker same same !!

[Ralf001]

On 2/26/2021 at 10:20 AM, spidermike007 said:

.

Friends of mine, who are single, enjoy the company of a young, beautiful woman for a couple of hours, for 2500 baht.

 

 

Wowzers.... thats a bit exxy.

[spidermike007]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Ask the question!

One of the nice things in Thailand is that people can get their 40B noodle soup on the street which tastes good and/or they can go to nice restaurants and spend a couple of thousand THB per person. I do both and I like it.

I can imagine spending (a lot) more money in Thailand and having a "better" life. I am sure there is somewhere a nice villa on a white beach.

But no other country comes to my mind where I would want to live permanently if I would have a lot of money. Holiday here and there, why not. But permanently? Where is it so much better?

 

I agree to some extent. However, if I had alot more money, I would likely live two to three months a year on the Southern coast of Turkey, a few months of the year in Spain, a month or so in the US, travel around a bit, and then spend two to three months a year here. Would be nice to see a fresh horizon, new cultures, and more culture. 

 

 

[BritManToo]

Just now, spidermike007 said:

I agree to some extent. However, if I had alot more money, I would likely live two to three months a year on the Southern coast of Turkey, a few months of the year in Spain, a month or so in the US, travel around a bit, and then spend two to three months a year here. Would be nice to see a fresh horizon, new cultures, and more culture. 

 

That was before COVID the great equaliser arrived.

Now even the super-rich have problems travelling the world.

(I'd replace Turkey with Mauritius on my travel itinerary)

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

I agree to some extent. However, if I had alot more money, I would likely live two to three months a year on the Southern coast of Turkey, a few months of the year in Spain, a month or so in the US, travel around a bit, and then spend two to three months a year here. Would be nice to see a fresh horizon, new cultures, and more culture. 

Nice pictures, and yes, some traveling sounds like a good idea.

One thing I don't want to be is a tourist anywhere in this world. It seems few people anywhere like tourists. Obviously lots of people like tourists' money, but not the tourist.

[Leaver]

8 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If they are half my age then I normally ask them if they have a younger sister. ???? 

 

Usually, the younger sister already has a farang.  ????

[AlfHuy]

8 hours ago, micmichd said:

Not to forget Western Cheap Charlies that promise their Mia a rose garden when in fact they have nothing. 

I know a few germans who did and do exactly this. They promise heaven on earth to the "much" younger girls. Once arrived in Germany, there is no Villa, no pool, no sports car, no millions in the bank, no car for the Thai lady no cleaner, no nothing. They are scared to return back to Thailand or put anything on social media because of the fear of losing face.

All their friends would have a party when they would know that the "rich white German prince" in fact is such a common guy with nothing spectacular to show. 

There is never a video call back home or nice pictures on social media because there is not such thing they were expecting. Instead, they are probably happy to work in a hotel, massage or even cleaning toilets.

Too many of the young ones end up with old germans. ????

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, AlfHuy said:

I know a few germans who did and do exactly this. They promise heaven on earth to the "much" younger girls. Once arrived in Germany, there is no Villa, no pool, no sports car, no millions in the bank, no car for the Thai lady no cleaner, no nothing. They are scared to return back to Thailand or put anything on social media because of the fear of losing face.

All their friends would have a party when they would know that the "rich white German prince" in fact is such a common guy with nothing spectacular to show. 

There is never a video call back home or nice pictures on social media because there is not such thing they were expecting. Instead, they are probably happy to work in a hotel, massage or even cleaning toilets.

Too many of the young ones end up with old germans. ????

I am sure there are also enough girls who realize that there are also lots of Germans with money who like pretty Thai girls. Some short time, some marry them. Once they are in Germany it's a lot easier to find such a rich guy - maybe even one who is young and handsome. ????