5 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Living in the UK so of course I have a view based on my personal experiences.  Certainly the country is run by clueless donkeys with the opposition consisting of clueless donkeys singing a different tune.  Are they corrupt? Yes, in a self preservation sort of way.  The truth has no value as Boris demonstrates on a daily basis.  However, the people are starting to kick back so lets' see how that pans out in the future.

 

When we moved here from Thailand my wife took a while getting used to having to do things by the book.  No longer could a fistful of 1,000 baht notes get us anything we desired.

That's all absolutely correct. The political situation there, leaves me in despair - still have family there, but none of my offspring. Even speed cameras touted as a road safety measure, is really a money spinner. The smart motorways are anything but, similar danger to driving here, if in an older vehicle. I kind of see this place like Jersey is some ways (without the look). Capital gains tax, non existing in any meaningful sense. No council tax. No real inheritance tax. Vat at 7%. Obviously things here like ridiculous tax on luxury items. Its easy for me here, I enjoy simple living.

5 hours ago, kokesaat said:

Been here for 25 years......been back in the US on more than a dozen times, but always yearning to come back to Thailand.  If you're dismayed by Thai politics, how would you have felt in the US on Jan 6?  My wife and I were in the US, in Texas of all places, .....and we were terrified.  

There are lots of nice things about the US......but given a choice of where I want to spend my retirement years, I'll pick Thailand in a heartbeat.

you wont when your health fails as it will in old age and insurance cant be obtained

The bottom line:

Don't let the door hit your backside on the way out.

Bye. 

 

 

Noted: Kind of astonishing as to the number of replies/comments that these types of OPs generate in a very short time, isn't it?  

1 minute ago, zzaa09 said:

The bottom line:

Don't let the door hit your backside on the way out.

Bye. 

 

 

Noted: Kind of astonishing as to the number of replies/comments that these types of OPs generate in a very short time, isn't it?  

That's just made me wonder, why did I respond. Generally don't much.

Just now, Khabib said:

Although this is absolutely off topic (my post), I try to bring it back. The corruption in the fishing industry has been industrialised from slave labour for decades. But, what comes to my mind, only because of your name tag, where can I get tinned John West Wild Pacific salmon here, now. Red, preferably. I guess it's known Thai Union, owns John west. Did I make it back to topic 55

I was referring to the post you referring too 555, its a temporal paradox

Firstly you can't turn the clock back. Secondly you are already an old man. Thirdly it's really sadly only realising after 15 years. And lastly my advise is you must convert into a Buddhist so when you are reincarnated again DON'T REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES AGAIN IN LOS. Ultimately you have wasted your time, money and youth for very little in return but regretful experience. Blame yourself and not LOS for having a truly bad judgement and decision moving here to taste tom yum kung.

9 hours ago, Stubby said:

I don't wish to be rude, but consider adding a little white space if you want people to read you monologue. 
 

Seriously, a massive block of unbroken text does not exactly entice the eyeballs. You obviously feel compelled to write, but no one is obliged to read what you've written. I'll pop back later and have another go if you improve the readability.
 

Stubby

 

Agree. My old eyes got tired quickly after reading just a few lines without any paragraphs so I stopped reading altogether.

 

 

 

9 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

Pity they dont include or practice “advanced learning of maths, english, sciences, technical disciplines & commercial / financial subjects”. Defeated often by Burma ( their only real enemy, ever), 

No Military Record ( since 1780) ,  Never Colonised ONLY due to BRITISH DECISION that Thailand be a Buffer State between British Empire ( Burma) and French Empire ( Cambodia & Laos), without which the French would have taken the country in a day, like theJaps did. A backward ancient people from the primitive southern chinese south who will never modernize or change.

So why hold back on what you really think, let it out man! 

Seriously? We couldn't agree more!

Central or South America here you come ?

I hear Philippines is a lot friendlier to westerners and easier at immigration but the food is slop for a start if you eat local from memory...pluses + minuses all round - you just got to hunt for the greatest pluses elsewhere.....place is only going toget more $$$$ in my view and immigration hoops higher and higher till there retiree requirements will only be aimed at super-rich.

 

Move on, don't fight a tide not to your liking.

aka the playbook..

"How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World"

jwest: the UK “pathetic”….seriously,  in what way ? UK easily the most successful political union EVER, 315 years old, enabled worldwide British Empire / Culture/ Language / Science / Industry, etc, etc. Seemingly threatened, yes, by the failed “devolved” national parliaments, who if independent  would be insolvent backwaters, pently reliant on English Taxpayers to survive.Now THAT’S Pathetic……..

11 hours ago, dunroaming said:

I think one common fault that westerners make when moving to Thailand is to pack our western values and principles along with our socks and boxer shorts.  We expect Thais to think and act as we do and that is rarely going to happen. 

Exactly right IMO. IMO most of the complaints from posters are because they can't accept that Thailand is NOT the same as back home but with friendlier women. If Thailand changed to the way they want it to be, it wouldn't be Thailand any more, it'd be like back home and those like me would not want to live there.

3 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

jwest: the UK “pathetic”….seriously,  in what way ? UK easily the most successful political union EVER, 315 years old, enabled worldwide British Empire / Culture/ Language / Science / Industry, etc, etc. Seemingly threatened, yes, by the failed “devolved” national parliaments, who if independent  would be insolvent backwaters, pently reliant on English Taxpayers to survive.Now THAT’S Pathetic……..

That's all in the past, IMO. Britain now ( or at least when I lived there ) is not that country any more.

7 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

The bottom line:

Don't let the door hit your backside on the way out.

Bye. 

 

 

Noted: Kind of astonishing as to the number of replies/comments that these types of OPs generate in a very short time, isn't it?  

Not really. Lots of bored posters will, iMO, seize on any interesting thread to comment on.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Exactly right IMO. IMO most of the complaints from posters are because they can't accept that Thailand is NOT the same as back home but with friendlier women. If Thailand changed to the way they want it to be, it wouldn't be Thailand any more, it'd be like back home and those like me would not want to live there.

Indeed. An even more perplexing aspect, if not fascinating, of this general mindset is the insistence of the comparatives and superlatives - wanting, if not needing, Thailand [or anywhere else that's not of their Western nature] to exemplify their cultural character. A common thread shared by passer by or long time resident. 

 

I've witnessed this nature the world over and find it to be almost backward. 

11 hours ago, dunroaming said:

Living in the UK so of course I have a view based on my personal experiences.  Certainly the country is run by clueless donkeys with the opposition consisting of clueless donkeys singing a different tune.  Are they corrupt? Yes, in a self preservation sort of way.  The truth has no value as Boris demonstrates on a daily basis.  However, the people are starting to kick back so lets' see how that pans out in the future.

 

When we moved here from Thailand my wife took a while getting used to having to do things by the book.  No longer could a fistful of 1,000 baht notes get us anything we desired.

America is the same . Corrupt politicians and completely useless . I don’t know what oasis the OP is looking for but the west is in a terrible tail spin right now . 

Many off topic and grammar police posts and responses removed.

 

Title edited.

tbl:”that's all in the past, IMO. Britain now ( or at least when I lived there ) is not that country any more” ….. yes, it still is, in a big albeit reduced way…..loving there has nothing to do with it…..UK still a world class country  in all areas…… 1.3 mill. snp fanatics, etc.hardly make a dent…….

21 hours ago, Concerned observer said:

I worked out this morning that I have purchased 5 new cars and one secondhand since I have been here. 5 new motorcycles and one secondhand. Purchased 3 condominiums, purchased land through my Thai wife and built two houses. Launched a company from scratch and employed countless Thai staff and sub contractors and paid 10 years of tax and SS - probably more than 75% of Thais will pay in their lifetime. Yet still I am treated like an idiot, ATM and with disrespect.

Who treats you like an idiot ? It sounds like you set yourself up for such treatment if it is indeed happening and not just a bit of paranoia. There are some personality types that simply do not belong here and you sound like one of them

10 hours ago, freedomnow said:

I hear Philippines is a lot friendlier to westerners

Yeah as long as you don't mind the shotgun toting guards at the entrance to every nice store, or the armed security required at most housing developments. They are friendly if you have something to offer financially, otherwise same as here

From my reading of  history, I get the opinion that Thailand was never colonised, particularly  by the French to the East , or the British to the West,  was due to the fact that   Britain   having grabbed  India  and Burma,  whilst  the French  had what was then known as Indo China, agreed  to leave   Siam, as it was then known,  as a "buffer zone" between them, to avoid possible conflict over territory.   Or could it be  that even then, both countries recognised    Siam as a basket case, better left to rot alone??.

I realise  Thai history  puts the fact down to "amazing and far sighted diplomacy"  of a certain King  ruling at that time, but then that is Thai history, or Thainess as   they like to say.

A grammar police post has been removed.

 

Some inflammatory posts have been removed.

for all those leaving ...  bye .....  don't forget to write

18 hours ago, freedomnow said:

Central or South America here you come ?

I hear Philippines is a lot friendlier to westerners and easier at immigration but the food is slop for a start if you eat local from memory...pluses + minuses all round - you just got to hunt for the greatest pluses elsewhere.....place is only going toget more $$$$ in my view and immigration hoops higher and higher till there retiree requirements will only be aimed at super-rich.

 

Move on, don't fight a tide not to your liking.

aka the playbook..

"How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World"

learn ....    no where is really friendly toward westerners because COVID19 changed things dramatically,  folks lost their jobs, shops closed, incomes finished so they also took a distain to the west as this developed.

Believe me it is true even if you don't agree ......

Philippines, Thialand, Vietnam, Burma, Laos and around will smile but generally they dislike and distain westerners.

It's a bit of,  this is my country,   i don't like you coming here because most get nothing from you.

I am more worried that it took you 15 years to grasp the situation. We have 2 choices in Thailand. Accept it or do something about it.

22 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

The bottom line:

Don't let the door hit your backside on the way out.

Bye. 

 

 

Noted: Kind of astonishing as to the number of replies/comments that these types of OPs generate in a very short time, isn't it?  

yeah .....  stop winning and get the heck outa dodge.  it's not for you

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

learn ....    no where is really friendly toward westerners because COVID19 changed things dramatically,  folks lost their jobs, shops closed, incomes finished so they also took a distain to the west as this developed.

Believe me it is true even if you don't agree ......

Philippines, Thialand, Vietnam, Burma, Laos and around will smile but generally they dislike and distain westerners.

It's a bit of,  this is my country,   i don't like you coming here because most get nothing from you.

I believe both views can be right and co-exist...it's not a black-and-white world...

You go find the painted smiles and I'll go find the genuine ones.

Though I agree with what you say, in all honesty corruption exist in most countries,  third and second world more predominantly.

Xenophobia, bias, racism unfortunately will always be with us, a product of the human condition.

 

You sound like a person of means, so go explore.

We'll see you back here in a few years, 

 

 

 

18 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

tbl:”that's all in the past, IMO. Britain now ( or at least when I lived there ) is not that country any more” ….. yes, it still is, in a big albeit reduced way…..loving there has nothing to do with it…..UK still a world class country  in all areas…… 1.3 mill. snp fanatics, etc.hardly make a dent…….

Don't care if it's world class ( what does that mean anyway? ), but if it was worth it I'd have stayed there.  It wasn't, I didn't and I don't miss it at all.

It has nice historical stuff, but that doesn't make up for the rest of it. London is expensive, dirty and IMO unpleasantly crowded.

18 hours ago, HAPPYNUFF said:

From my reading of  history, I get the opinion that Thailand was never colonised, particularly  by the French to the East , or the British to the West,  was due to the fact that   Britain   having grabbed  India  and Burma,  whilst  the French  had what was then known as Indo China, agreed  to leave   Siam, as it was then known,  as a "buffer zone" between them, to avoid possible conflict over territory.   Or could it be  that even then, both countries recognised    Siam as a basket case, better left to rot alone??.

I realise  Thai history  puts the fact down to "amazing and far sighted diplomacy"  of a certain King  ruling at that time, but then that is Thai history, or Thainess as   they like to say.

That's an overly simplistic opinion, IMO. The real history makes interesting reading.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That's an overly simplistic opinion, IMO. The real history makes interesting reading.

Most don't care to imbibe real history, and it's truer perspectives, because it's just that - real.

Much easier to absorb the repeated convention that fits nicely to their already predisposed agenda.