1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

"I’ve been a teacher of English, a teacher of Thai to Thais, a salesman, a condo flipper, a translator and a journalist".

Obviously helps the more capable, energetic and enthusiastic you are. Language skills especially valuable. Age is a factor too. A friend who retired at 65 (in U.K.), continued in part-time work before finally deciding to stop working and came to Thailand aged 78. I would add the attractions of living in Thailand also include reliable water, electricity and high-speed internet at most affordable prices. Even the small soi's are concreted. In some Countries only major routes are tarmac.

1 hour ago, WineOh said:

Thailand is completely stagnant and stuck in a rut.

No room for growth here, especially for the well informed youth of the country.

Unlike the well informed youth of this country ---What would this guy know.  Bloomberg names Thailand the top emerging market

 

 

https://thaiembdc.org/2021/01/06/bloomberg-column-names-thailand-top-emerging-market/

3 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

While I agree with many of the points the OP makes, the first half of the article comes across as a tad bit too self-congratulatory and preachy for my tastes.

Agree.

I've read a few of Roosters editorials and he doesn't half waffle on!

 

Never forgetting to remind us that he plays Scrabble every day.

Who gives? lol.

1 minute ago, Gecko123 said:

While I agree with many of the points the OP makes, the first half of the article comes across as a tad bit too self-congratulatory and preachy for my tastes.

 

Yes, the weekly FIGJAM column.

Roosters sunday edition is getting a lot more attention nowadays.   Seems he crows a bit more when the wife is away    he he he 

OR,   maybe its a reflection on how little real content there is on these hollow hallowed pages nowadays.    And opinions ?    HA !   offer at your own risk ,  

 

today looks to be a good one.   kind of like the opening bouts,  Sunday muay thai, ....

now waiting for the big  KOO ACHE 

 

 

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, rumak said:

maybe its a reflection on how little real content there is on these hollow hallowed pages nowadays.    And opinions ?    HA !   offer at your own risk ,  

Careful there fella.

You are allowed opinions as long as they are agreeable with, well, you know mate.

Edited May 9, 20215 yr by RobMuir

4 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

While I agree with many of the points the OP makes, the first half of the article comes across as a tad bit too self-congratulatory and preachy for my tastes.

 

well,  that is always a given    ????????????????????

 

did you know he was a scrabble champion ??  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Edited May 9, 20215 yr by rumak

Just now, RobMuir said:

Careful there fella.

 

????????????????????

Just now, RobMuir said:

Careful there fella.

You are allowed opinions as long as they are agreeable with, well, you know mate.

 

i thought my support of brewster today was going to earn me some brownie points !!

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Rooster was “dripping with insincerity”. 

Keep it up, please!

17 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

before finally deciding to stop working and came to Thailand aged 78

Good, but why stop working so young?

5 minutes ago, rumak said:

 

i thought my support of brewster today was going to earn me some brownie points !!

You are barking up the wrong tree. You have to target it a bit better. 

14 minutes ago, rumak said:

 

well,  that is always a given    ????????????????????

 

did you know he was a scrabble champion ??  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

And taught Thai language to Thai people! 

Roosters weekly sermon always has a tendency to get peoples back’s up !! after all, listing your achievements constantly will do that !! having said that I liked this week’s more than the previous two  ????

Agree with some of his points although number 7 is probably location dependent and number 9 also .

 

That said  , is my life better here than in my home country ? ………. undoubtedly.

Would I be happy back in Blighty ? ………… nah !

 

Sometimes you have to take a step back and evaluate the whole picture :

If you are getting angry because the guy in front of you didn’t use his indicator to stop at the ice tea stand …… or ….. the temperature is causing you to sweat a little……. or ……. the young lady put two staples in your plastic kanom box instead of one  ……. 
Well you really need to ask yourself “ what do I need to truly make myself happy “ ??

 

Rooster is just "stirring the possum"...aussie slang'....good to be positive,but the article is riddled with half truths.

Referring to the quote of Thais expressing the wish to seek greener pastures,who can blame them.No employment prospects at the moment due to covid,a government that can only be described as nasty and mean spirited,but it's just a dream while this virus affects every country

The poster has been here 40 years and is on his second thai family.... a sucker for punishment?

 

Talking positively about the safety of thai roads is to deny the obvious.

Yes Thai food is great,no argument their.

Thai humour is alive and well,you only have to watch youtube video clips to realise that.

Yes thais can be very generous.

Learning the language may be easy for some,but not everyone and every thai lady you have a relationship with desperately hopes you know FA thai,because they love to nin tar about you all day.

I am sure that all of us,no matter how much we mumble about life here still prefer to be here than back home.We're allowed to mumble,being here many years gives us that right,but dont take any of us too seriously.

It's an easy place to live if you have the correct visa and the money qualifications.

My only one gripe about thai's is their insane jealousy.

But you find a good thai lady to share your life with and they will take very good care of you,and give you all the love you need.

1 hour ago, kingofthemountain said:

rose teinted glasses

Where can I buy these?

Here eleven years now, no problems with Thais to speak of.

Most of my problems have been with Caucasians.

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Marriage and having children

Extolling the wondrous delights of inter-cultural married life in the immediate aftermath of the horrific murder by a foreigner of his pregnant Thai wife seems like really poor timing.

 

This tragic incident has forced many Thais to face hard truths about the dangers of rushing into marriage with a foreign partner, often in the hopes of escaping poverty. Thailand's land laws which fail to recognize a foreigner's financial interest in land even after marriage contribute to this problem and need to be reformed. Once property has been purchased, these laws can create an incentive for divorce because of the potential windfall which the Thai partner might realize. This in turn can result in rage, sometimes homicidal, if the foreigner feels they have lost not only the emotional investment in the marriage, but a substantial financial investment as well. This is especially true if they believe they were duped into getting married for financial gain. It seems to me less "happy talk" about marriage, and more education about its potential risks is what's needed right now.

 

Edited May 9, 20215 yr by Gecko123

2 hours ago, WineOh said:

It's just a quote from an actor whom I admire for his acting talent.

 

Don't read too much into it, rumak.

I think the actor Terry Scott's words when he found out about his last illness were better 

 

"I know it would be better to give up the booze, fags and birds, but life would be so boring, wouldn't it?"

2 hours ago, WineOh said:

Sadly, those tourist red zones you refer to are what the majority of foreigners coming here get to see.

Phuket, Samui, Koh Tao, Pattaya.

All full of aggressive locals who are fueled by greed.

They swear at, intimidate and occasionally physically assault these tourists who are just here for a holiday.

I have lived in one of those so called red zones for several years. Your description of such places is an anathema to me. Visited all of the places you mentioned as a tourist before moving here. If my experiences had been an nth of what you describe, I'd never have moved here.

 

Try a Friday night in Blackpool.

 

 

Edited May 9, 20215 yr by polpott

33 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Extolling the wondrous delights of inter-cultural married life in the immediate aftermath of the horrific murder by a foreigner of his pregnant Thai wife seems like really poor timing.

 

This tragic incident has forced many Thais to face hard truths about the dangers of rushing into marriage with a foreign partner, often in the hopes of escaping poverty. Thailand's land laws which fail to recognize a foreigner's financial interest in land even after marriage contribute to this problem and need to be reformed. Once property has been purchased, these laws can create an incentive for divorce because of the potential windfall which the Thai partner might realize. This in turn can result in rage, sometimes homicidal, if the foreigner feels they have lost not only the emotional investment in the marriage, but a substantial financial investment as well. This is especially true if they believe they were duped into getting married for financial gain. It seems to me less "happy talk" about marriage, and more education about its potential risks is what's needed right now.

 

I think you're missing the point about the murder of the pregnant woman. That the American was wanted for every felony under the sun in the US and was let into Thailand.

4 minutes ago, polpott said:

Try a Friday night in Blackpool.

Been to Blackpool on a Friday night countless times.

 

Always had a blast.

 

Never had a ladyboy try to mug me at 2am.

 

That only happened in Phuket.

Written and paid for by TAT? 

Just now, WineOh said:

Been to Blackpool on a Friday night countless times.

 

Always had a blast.

 

Never had a ladyboy try to mug me at 2am.

 

That only happened in Phuket.

My daughter works in A&E in Blackpool. On an average Friday night she sees drug overdoses, stabbings, gang fights inside A&E and several serious assaults. Probably more than the whole of Thailand on an average Friday night.

2 minutes ago, polpott said:

My daughter works in A&E in Blackpool. On an average Friday night she sees drug overdoses, stabbings, gang fights inside A&E and several serious assaults. Probably more than the whole of Thailand on an average Friday night.

So?

 

I never saw any of that.

 

Always had a great time in Blackpool.

1 minute ago, WineOh said:

So?

 

I never saw any of that.

 

Always had a great time in Blackpool.

Good for you. I always have a great time in Pattaya. Never been attacked by a ladyboy, some people just attract them.

TL;DR

3 hours ago, WineOh said:

A million young Thais joined the facebook group for a reason.

They now finally see the light and want to better themselves

They could start by learning English?

5 minutes ago, polpott said:

I always have a great time in Pattaya. Never been attacked by a ladyboy, some people just attract them.

I've never been 'attacked' by a ladyboy in Pattaya.

never been there long enough for it to happen. What a dump.

 

A ladyboy attempted to mug me in Phuket a long time ago.

I felt his hand go in my pocket, I grabbed hold of it and smacked it square in the jaw.

 

It ran off, crying like a baby. 

4 minutes ago, BostonRob2 said:

I think you're missing the point about the murder of the pregnant woman. That the American was wanted for every felony under the sun in the US and was let into Thailand.

My understanding is that the woman he was charged with assaulting/trying to kill back in Colorado is the same woman who ended up getting murdered in Nan. My understanding is that her return to Thailand and refusal to testify against him is the reason charges against him were dropped.

 

It's pretty obvious in hindsight that neither of them seem to have had a good handle on the character and temperament of the other. Language barriers can often mask significant incompatibilities, which in the excitement of whirlwind holiday romances, overseas travel opportunities, houses being built and cars being bought, or, from the man's point of view, the excitement of marrying an attractive younger woman, there's often a tendency to overlook these differences until it's too late. I would argue that's the core issue, not how carefully immigration screens incoming tourists.