Would you ever seriously think about moving to Cambodia or Laos?

[Johnny Mac]

On 3/26/2021 at 6:47 AM, simon43 said:

 

 

I guess if you don't have a hobby or job to fill your spare time, then living in any rural location will be tedious and boring.  I typically teach about 5 hours each day, with long breaks in-between my lessons to allow me to keep fit (6km walk/run every day).  I get up at 4.30am to 'play' with my ham radio. I meet my friends in town for breakfast.  The 3 main languages spoken in town are Lao, French and English, all which I speak well.  Most expats here seem to be working for NGOs, such as The World Food Program, or are volunteer teachers and doctors etc.  I see no sex-mongers/alcoholics etc...

 

 

 

That sounds ok, but it's just a daily routine. Do you ever actually DO anything, or does each day, week, month just roll onto the next one. Do you ever DO anything or have any dates, events in your diary to look forward to?? My guess is no you don't.

 

Life over here is pretty dull, no matter which part you live in. The days can be very long.

[polpott]

6 minutes ago, Johnny Mac said:

Life over here is pretty dull, no matter which part you live in. The days can be very long.

Pattaya resident here, not enough hours in the day for me. I definitely won't get all my scheduled tasks done today. Life is what you make of it.

[Johnny Mac]

Just now, polpott said:

Pattaya resident here, not enough hours in the day for me. I definitely won't get all my scheduled tasks done today. Life is what you make of it.

Haha, good try fella. So busy you're sitting on here mid-morning. Lol.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Johnny Mac said:

Simon43 makes a good case for Luang Prabang, I do think if I ever left here I would consider there very strongly.

 

This motion of it being boring, and Pattaya and BKK are so great? Well I live in BKK and I really don't have much to do, what do people do daytime that live in BKK that is so exciting? Please tell. It's a massive effort just to get somewhere and it's always hot and humid. As for Pattaya (or any beach area) well I lived in Pattaya for 4 years and hardly went to the beach, it's boring.

 

So, I feel that if I lived in say Luang Prabang, I wouldn't miss hardly anything in BKK, same as I don't miss anything in Pattaya. You always pretty much have want you want (unless you really do go rural) but just less options of the same things.

 

End of the day I consider the Western world way more interesting, civilised and exciting than anywhere in Asia, with a LOT more to do, and without the damned heat!

When I went to Laos, Luang Prabang was like an Oasis, with it's french influence it was light years ahead of everywhere else. Like all these places it's hard to know how long I could stay before being bored out my brains, I know with Pattaya I have loads of options for activities so could easily live here for years, decades maybe

Edited March 27, 2021 by scubascuba3

[NCC1701A]

You're a star-belly sneech, you **** like a leech
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss *** while you ***** so you can get rich
But your boss gets richer off you
Well, you'll work harder with a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers till you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake

Now you can go where people are one
Now you can go where they get things done
What you need, my son
What you need, my son

Is a holiday in Cambodia
Where people dress in black
A holiday in Cambodia
Where you'll kiss *** or crack

[polpott]

11 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

You're a star-belly sneech, you **** like a leech
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss *** while you ***** so you can get rich
But your boss gets richer off you
Well, you'll work harder with a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers till you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake

Now you can go where people are one
Now you can go where they get things done
What you need, my son
What you need, my son

Is a holiday in Cambodia
Where people dress in black
A holiday in Cambodia
Where you'll kiss *** or crack

Don't give up the day job. 555

[Johnny Mac]

14 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

When I went to Laos, Luang Prabang was like an Oasis, with it's french influence it was light years ahead of everywhere else. Like all these places it's hard to know how long I could stay before being bored out my brains, I know with Pattaya I have loads of options for activities so could easily live here for years, decades maybe

 

What activities? outdoor ones in this heat? Not for me thanks.

 

If it's gym, golf, going for lunch, whatever, you can pretty much do that anywhere. For me and most people I know it's stay out of the heat daytime and keep yourself occupied at home, ie internet, cooking, Netflix, work online etc, and wait until beer o'clock when it isn't like an oven outside...

[Johnny Mac]

Just now, polpott said:

Don't give up the day job. 555

Still here? LOL.

[polpott]

2 minutes ago, Johnny Mac said:

Still here? LOL.

By the skin of my teeth. 555

[polpott]

4 minutes ago, Johnny Mac said:

 

What activities? outdoor ones in this heat? Not for me thanks.

 

If it's gym, golf, going for lunch, whatever, you can pretty much do that anywhere. For me and most people I know it's stay out of the heat daytime and keep yourself occupied at home, ie internet, cooking, Netflix, work online etc, and wait until beer o'clock when it isn't like an oven outside...

You have missed the main activities. Servicing wife. Servicing mia noi. Servicing giks. Wife has asked me to make myself scarce tonight but just learned that no bars tonight. Was going to see gik but mia noi informed me that she has just kicked her husband into touch. Guess it'll be a bottle of wine round at hers then.

[Johnny Mac]

9 minutes ago, polpott said:

You have missed the main activities. Servicing wife. Servicing mia noi. Servicing giks. Wife has asked me to make myself scarce tonight but just learned that no bars tonight. Was going to see gik but mia noi informed me that she has just kicked her husband into touch. Guess it'll be a bottle of wine round at hers then.

 

Living the dream, eh.

[Johnny Mac]

10 minutes ago, polpott said:

You have missed the main activities. Servicing wife. Servicing mia noi. Servicing giks. Wife has asked me to make myself scarce tonight but just learned that no bars tonight. Was going to see gik but mia noi informed me that she has just kicked her husband into touch. Guess it'll be a bottle of wine round at hers then.

 

Someone said all bars in LK and Soi Bou are open as normal. Only darkside bars closed.

[simon43]

1 hour ago, Johnny Mac said:

 

That sounds ok, but it's just a daily routine. Do you ever actually DO anything, or does each day, week, month just roll onto the next one. Do you ever DO anything or have any dates, events in your diary to look forward to?? My guess is no you don't.

 

Life over here is pretty dull, no matter which part you live in. The days can be very long.

To be honest, right now, it is pretty much an enjoyable routine, because I need to put some money into the bank before I start to get my pension (in 4 years from now).  I will still keep teaching online after that, but will decrease the number of lessons.

 

However, I've structured my working day so that I take most of Friday off as a break, and I don't teach between 9am-2pm during the week.  So I have lots of spare time.  I usually go off-road riding in the nearby hills.  Yesterday (Friday), I gathered up my ham radio gear and rode to the top of a high hill/small mountain to send out television pictures to other radio hams (thus combining my hobbies of ham radio and off-road biking).

 

The events in my diary tend to be concerning my hobbies, for example - some special dates when the International Space Station transmits pictures and offers an award to any radio hams that manage to receive them (I did!).  As the only radio ham in the country, I'm inundated with calls from other hams eager for a contact with me so they can get various awards,  Since there is a distinct lack of electronic shops here, and the postal system is 'down' due to Covid, I have to make/DIY a lot of my equipment - that's a challenge that keeps me very busy ????

 

Now if I were the kind of chap who loves to drink alcohol to excess, party wildly every night and sex-monger (is that a verb?), LP is probably not the place to be! ????

 

 

[Johnny Mac]

Just now, simon43 said:

To be honest, right now, it is pretty much an enjoyable routine, because I need to put some money into the bank before I start to get my pension (in 4 years from now).  I will still keep teaching online after that, but will decrease the number of lessons.

 

However, I've structured my working day so that I take most of Friday off as a break, and I don't teach between 9am-2pm during the week.  So I have lots of spare time.  I usually go off-road riding in the nearby hills.  Yesterday (Friday), I gathered up my ham radio gear and rode to the top of a high hill/small mountain to send out television pictures to other radio hams (thus combining my hobbies of ham radio and off-road biking).

 

The events in my diary tend to be concerning my hobbies, for example - some special dates when the International Space Station transmits pictures and offers an award to any radio hams that manage to receive them (I did!).  As the only radio ham in the country, I'm inundated with calls from other hams eager for a contact with me so they can get various awards,  Since there is a distinct lack of electronic shops here, and the postal system is 'down' due to Covid, I have to make/DIY a lot of my equipment - that's a challenge that keeps me very busy ????

 

Now if I were the kind of chap who loves to drink alcohol to excess, party wildly every night and sex-monger (is that a verb?), LP is probably not the place to be! ????

 

 

 

Sounds good, and seems like you have found peace at last. Good for you.

 

I went to LP one time around 18 years ago, can only remember the scenery which is lovely, and the river where the great unwashed do their kiyacking (sp) , really don't recall much else and I'm sure much has changed anyway.

 

if the world ever opens again it's on my list for a glorified visa run. it would be nice to have a pint while watching some football, if you are up for that if and when I get there?

[polpott]

6 minutes ago, Johnny Mac said:

 

Living the dream, eh.

its the only way to live.

[moontang]

19 minutes ago, polpott said:

You have missed the main activities. Servicing wife. Servicing mia noi. Servicing giks. Wife has asked me to make myself scarce tonight but just learned that no bars tonight. Was going to see gik but mia noi informed me that she has just kicked her husband into touch. Guess it'll be a bottle of wine round at hers then.

I wish I had a cold beer in my fridge for every uneducated, poor isaan girl, with a few kids, no money, and a family tree with a negative worth, that I have met this year.

[polpott]

3 minutes ago, moontang said:

I wish I had a cold beer in my fridge for every uneducated, poor isaan girl, with a few kids, no money, and a family tree with a negative worth, that I have met this year.

I hope you gave them all some love. Its the farang's raison d'etre in Thailand.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by polpott

[Sujo]

24 minutes ago, simon43 said:

To be honest, right now, it is pretty much an enjoyable routine, because I need to put some money into the bank before I start to get my pension (in 4 years from now).  I will still keep teaching online after that, but will decrease the number of lessons.

 

However, I've structured my working day so that I take most of Friday off as a break, and I don't teach between 9am-2pm during the week.  So I have lots of spare time.  I usually go off-road riding in the nearby hills.  Yesterday (Friday), I gathered up my ham radio gear and rode to the top of a high hill/small mountain to send out television pictures to other radio hams (thus combining my hobbies of ham radio and off-road biking).

 

The events in my diary tend to be concerning my hobbies, for example - some special dates when the International Space Station transmits pictures and offers an award to any radio hams that manage to receive them (I did!).  As the only radio ham in the country, I'm inundated with calls from other hams eager for a contact with me so they can get various awards,  Since there is a distinct lack of electronic shops here, and the postal system is 'down' due to Covid, I have to make/DIY a lot of my equipment - that's a challenge that keeps me very busy ????

 

Now if I were the kind of chap who loves to drink alcohol to excess, party wildly every night and sex-monger (is that a verb?), LP is probably not the place to be! ????

 

 

You sound like a very interesting person with a hobby like that.

 

Good on you.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

You're a star-belly sneech, you **** like a leech
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss *** while you ***** so you can get rich
But your boss gets richer off you
Well, you'll work harder with a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers till you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake

Now you can go where people are one
Now you can go where they get things done
What you need, my son
What you need, my son

Is a holiday in Cambodia
Where people dress in black
A holiday in Cambodia
Where you'll kiss *** or crack

Didn't know that was the lyrics. Such terrible things happened at that time and bad memories for the old folk. I think Polpott should consider changing his name .. sure nothing is meant by it but there ain't nothing amusing or ironic using that name. 

[Leaver]

12 hours ago, Jingthing said:

OK, marriage too. 

My focus is on retirement and more casual very long term visa run situations like the Philippines had before Covid and presumably will eventually be restored.

To add, I find the idea of entering into a sham marriage for a visa to be a really horrible idea, regardless of the country. 

 

I wouldn't do the sham marriage either, but I suppose if you half shack up with a bar girl, it is what it is.  

 

I believe there is a 2 year temporary resident card.  Agents take care of it.  Pay your money and it's done.  

[Leaver]

7 hours ago, rott said:

So it is a marriage visa or nowt then.? Pity. 

 

No.  Last I heard, 3 month multiple entry tourist visas could be extended in country 3 times, so that's a year, but then you have to cross a border.  

 

There's a 2 year temporary residents card which is just pay your money and you're done.  I believe after the 2 years you just pay for another one and no need to leave the country.    

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, Johnny Mac said:

End of the day I consider the Western world way more interesting, civilised and exciting than anywhere in Asia, with a LOT more to do, and without the damned heat!

The western world has most people locked up in their homes for the past year.

(England anyway, my pals back home are bored out of their minds)

 

It is hot today, which is why I got up at 7am for 3Km of walking around the village.

 

[EricTh]

14 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

5 year multiple entry marriage visas in Vietnam for around $50USD.

 

No money needed in a bank, no bank letters, no seasoning, no photos of you and your wife in the bedroom,. no hand drawn map of where you live, no photocopies upon photocopies, no international bank code for transfers etc etc etc etc, and yes, expats are doing sham marriages there for the marriage visa, and the authorities don't care.  

 

The writing is on the wall for Thailand.  Compete, or lose. 

 

 

I don't think Thailand wants retirees and expats anymore. This is just a legacy passed down when Thailand was poor decades ago.

 

Now Thailand is eyeing the rich Chinese tourists who will bring much more cash money than the poor farang/Japanese retirees who think of all sorts of illegal way to trick the system like faking declaration, faking bank documents, borrowing money from agents etc.

Edited March 27, 2021 by EricTh

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

I don't think Thailand wants retirees and expats anymore. This is just a legacy passed down when Thailand was poor decades ago.

 

Now Thailand is eyeing the rich Chinese tourists who will bring much more cash money than the poor farang/Japanese retirees who think of all sorts of illegal way to trick the system like faking declaration, faking bank documents, borrowing money from agents etc.

I think they still want retirees but people shouldn't expect a gold plated invitation. That isn't new. We self invite here. 

[Johnny Mac]

47 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

The western world has most people locked up in their homes for the past year.

(England anyway, my pals back home are bored out of their minds)

 

It is hot today, which is why I got up at 7am for 3Km of walking around the village.

 

 

Brit - Thailand is a boring country imo, look around everyone is bored, there is no urgency or energy anywhere, it's just everyone plodding around with long faces. No sense of community, neighbours un-friendly, just each to his own. Who has your back here if something went wrong? I'm talking about Thai's too. Do Thai's even have true friends? I don't think so. I have nothing to do here that excites me, it's just go for a beer and eat. if it wasn't for the 'girls' who would be here?? The UK has way way more to offer (in normal times) but of course it also depends where you live, and yes it is expensive, very cold at times, and then you have the PC malarky, chavs hanging around, big brother etc etc. You could pop out for some milk in the UK and not make it home. I don't know the answer but there should be more to life here imo. 

Edited March 27, 2021 by Johnny Mac

[mikebike]

16 minutes ago, Johnny Mac said:

 

Brit - Thailand is a boring country imo, look around everyone is bored, there is no urgency or energy anywhere, it's just everyone plodding around with long faces. No sense of community, neighbours un-friendly, just each to his own. Who has your back here if something went wrong? I'm talking about Thai's too. Do Thai's even have true friends? I don't think so. I have nothing to do here that excites me, it's just go for a beer and eat. if it wasn't for the 'girls' who would be here?? The UK has way way more to offer (in normal times) but of course it also depends where you live, and yes it is expensive, very cold at times, and then you have the PC malarky, chavs hanging around, big brother etc etc. You could pop out for some milk in the UK and not make it home. I don't know the answer but there should be more to life here imo. 

Must b where u live. Where I am it's a great community, people are way happier than in my home country, and I have been here for 15yrs with my Farang wife, so no need for "girls".

 

We sail, paddleboard, kayak, big-bike tour, hike, volunteer for community projects, garden, have many D.I.Y. projects, bike rebuild projects, manage our business back home, and drink beer and eat very well (Mrs. Mikebike is an excellent cook and baker).

 

So sorry for you my friend.

[mrfaroukh]

The question I have is are you planning to move there because everything is better than Thailand or just because it is cheaper. Why should anyone move to another country just because they are the same as what Thailand was 20 years ago? I will never move to Cambodia because of cheaper bear or food. I had been there twice and in fact I didn't like it the second time. All the things you mentioned are cheaper than Thailand I found them even more expensive as lots of Korean, Chinese coming there. And to me honest I didn't see anything so wonderful that worth leaving Thailand for it. On the other hand if I leave Thailand for any other country I will rather choose Vietnam or Philippines and may be Indonesia or Malaysia. 

[zyphodb]

On 3/25/2021 at 9:29 PM, simon43 said:

Well, it seems very few would consider moving to live in Laos.  I'm genuinely interested to know why.  Please tell. 

 

I can only relate to living in Luang Prabang.  I would not want to live in Vientiane - it has changed for the worse since I used to visit a decade or so ago. Other rural locations in the country are indeed, too 'rural' for my liking.  But LP works great for me ????

It's high on my list, If I could resist the urge to go to a Country  where I could live by the sea...

[Johnny Mac]

1 hour ago, mikebike said:

Must b where u live. Where I am it's a great community, people are way happier than in my home country, and I have been here for 15yrs with my Farang wife, so no need for "girls".

 

We sail, paddleboard, kayak, big-bike tour, hike, volunteer for community projects, garden, have many D.I.Y. projects, bike rebuild projects, manage our business back home, and drink beer and eat very well (Mrs. Mikebike is an excellent cook and baker).

 

So sorry for you my friend.

 

LOL. Hike? Haha. I think you need to save the sympathy for yourself with that life.

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, Johnny Mac said:

 

What activities? outdoor ones in this heat? Not for me thanks.

 

If it's gym, golf, going for lunch, whatever, you can pretty much do that anywhere. For me and most people I know it's stay out of the heat daytime and keep yourself occupied at home, ie internet, cooking, Netflix, work online etc, and wait until beer o'clock when it isn't like an oven outside...

waiting for beer o'clock isn't a great long term plan, it seems to be a slow death. Personally doing stuff outside is fun for many, including golf, cycling groups, whatever. One thing that stuck in my mind when I went to PP was the loser alcoholics bar flies that looked ill, dressed terrible and were on the conveyor belt to death, living the dream