Back in the USA

[ThailandRyan]

21 minutes ago, Isaanlife said:

One thing I will say about Florida?

 

People in the trades whether Tree Trimmers, Plumbers, Electricians, Auto Mechanics, Mason's, House Painters, Roofers/Carpenters charge an insane amount of money, and they get it.

 

If you are not handy at fixing things yourself, you can go under quite easy.

 

Your bring up a good point about the cost.

 

My neighbor told me she got a quote for a wood fence around her house.

 

It was around $8,800  ($2800 for the materials, labor (2 days), $6,000. 2 days at 8 hours a day = 16 hours of labor)

 

For $6,000 labor/16 hours  that works out to be around $375 an hour labor.

 

Another neighbor got some quotes to get the outside of his house painted.

 

Average quote was around $5,000. He bought all the paint and supplies for $1500. Labor $3,500 and the house would have been finished in 1 day.

 

$3,500 divided by 8 hours of labor = $437 an hour to paint a one story ranch house.

 

He painted it himself.

 

It seems like all of the trades collude to keep the prices sky high. Tradesmen make more than most professionals here.

 

There is so much new construction going on in this area it is sick. People moving to Florida from everywhere.

 

I had a leaky faucet on the outside of the house. Called about 6 plumbers. None available for days. Average estimate was $375.

 

Fixed it myself for <$10 in parts.

 

It has certainly been a real eye opener since the last time we lived here and honestly this area is probably not worth that high cost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have forgotten that their is now workers compensation insurance that the company must purchase and for each employee also pay into certain benefits that many years ago were not required by employment law and of them were paid under the table.  However, with millions being paid in fines by companies and restaurants in the past few years many have had to increase prices as well as wages for each employee.

[Guest Isaanlife]

52 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

You have forgotten that their is now workers compensation insurance that the company must purchase and for each employee also pay into certain benefits that many years ago were not required by employment law and of them were paid under the table.  However, with millions being paid in fines by companies and restaurants in the past few years many have had to increase prices as well as wages for each employee.

Most of what I can see, the majority have gone off and started their own business with just a pickup truck and a trailer full of tools.

 

Lots of people from Mexico have their own business doing the majority of the concrete block and roofing work.

 

 

[KhunLA]

17 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Nicely photoshopped.

No doubt in my mind, that IS photoshopped.  And a poor job at that.

[GinBoy2]

15 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

I do not believe it was photoshopped.  This photo was taken in California.  I have friends in Los Angeles Country and they are paying $6 or more per gallon.  But if you go east of Los Angeles where refineries are very far the cost per gallon can hit  $7 to $8 per gallon.  This particular photo appears to have been taken in Blythe CA(near the Arizona border).  In the good old days  gas in Blythe was always $1 to $1.50 per gallon higher because the nearest refinery is over 100 miles. I have driven thru small towns like Blythe and Barstow many times and gasoline has always been higher than in Los Angeles County.  Gasoline in California has always been higher than in other parts of the USA.  

 

I was just in Los Angeles two weeks ago.  Went to an Arco Gas Station and gave the clerk $20 dollars.  I was able to get a whopping 4 gallons into my rental car(a 3 cylinder Mitsubishi Mirage with a 9 gallon tank).  Welcome to the future of California and America. 

Well here is the real cost of gas in Blythe

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Well here is the real cost of gas in Blythe

And why I say it was photoshopped, as when did you ever see all grades of gas being sold at the same price.

Edited March 8, 2022 by KhunLA

[GinBoy2]

4 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

And why I say it was photoshopped, as when did you ever see all grades of gas being sold at the same price.

Good point, I hadn't even noticed that the differential between the grades was one cent

[Adumbration]

OP, how is your handsomeness going?

[sirineou]

On 3/8/2022 at 6:43 AM, jerrymahoney said:

Sure but a large component of the Thai population regularly uses a motorbike for what those in the US of A normally use a car or a guzzler SUV.

Sure, if you use less, you pay less . that is true in every part of the world. No one is forcing  you to drive a guzzler  SUV in the US , plenty of fuel efficient small cars there,  

[sirineou]

6 hours ago, Adumbration said:

OP, how is your handsomeness going?

He is back in the US, he is no longer "Handsome  Man" LOL

[jerrymahoney]

35 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Sure, if you use less, you pay less . that is true in every part of the world. No one is forcing  you to drive a guzzler  SUV in the US , plenty of fuel efficient small cars there,  

... but not as efficient as a motorbike with a 125 cc or less engine.

[sirineou]

17 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

... but not as efficient as a motorbike with a 125 cc or less engine.

More efficient at keeping you warm, dry. and keeping the bugs out of your teeth LOL

[jerrymahoney]

6 minutes ago, sirineou said:

More efficient at keeping you warm, dry. and keeping the bugs out of your teeth LOL

what's that to do with the price of petrol as a component of average wage in US vs Thailand which is what you started this repartee.

 

Btw just saw this . Have fun. 

https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Greece/gasoline_prices/

 

Greece Gasoline prices, 07-Mar-2022

Greece Gasoline prices	Litre	Gallon
EUR	1.944	7.359
USD	2.110	7.987

[sqwakvfr]

8 hours ago, KhunLA said:

And why I say it was photoshopped, as when did you ever see all grades of gas being sold at the same price.

You are right but it is close:  

[bbko]

14 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

One thing I will say about Florida?

 

People in the trades whether Tree Trimmers, Plumbers, Electricians, Auto Mechanics, Mason's, House Painters, Roofers/Carpenters charge an insane amount of money, and they get it.

 

If you are not handy at fixing things yourself, you can go under quite easy.

 

Your bring up a good point about the cost.

 

My neighbor told me she got a quote for a wood fence around her house.

 

It was around $8,800  ($2800 for the materials, labor (2 days), $6,000. 2 days at 8 hours a day = 16 hours of labor)

 

For $6,000 labor/16 hours  that works out to be around $375 an hour labor.

 

Another neighbor got some quotes to get the outside of his house painted.

 

Average quote was around $5,000. He bought all the paint and supplies for $1500. Labor $3,500 and the house would have been finished in 1 day.

 

$3,500 divided by 8 hours of labor = $437 an hour to paint a one story ranch house.

 

He painted it himself.

 

It seems like all of the trades collude to keep the prices sky high. Tradesmen make more than most professionals here.

 

There is so much new construction going on in this area it is sick. People moving to Florida from everywhere.

 

I had a leaky faucet on the outside of the house. Called about 6 plumbers. None available for days. Average estimate was $375.

 

Fixed it myself for <$10 in parts.

 

It has certainly been a real eye opener since the last time we lived here and honestly this area is probably not worth that high cost.

Many Americans are inept when it comes to simple DIY tasks,  here in Pattaya I had a US expat friend complain about a Thai worker fixing a leak with his exposed PVC tubing,  my initial thought was "fix it yourself" it's a simple job. 

Ask a average American if he/she can change the oil in their car, trim a tree in their yard or do basic construction around the house and many will say "hire a Mexican", Americans are soft and lazy. 

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, bbko said:

Many Americans are inept when it comes to simple DIY tasks,  here in Pattaya I had a US expat friend complain about a Thai worker fixing a leak with his exposed PVC tubing,  my initial thought was "fix it yourself" it's a simple job. 

Ask a average American if he/she can change the oil in their car, trim a tree in their yard or do basic construction around the house and many will say "hire a Mexican", Americans are soft and lazy. 

Not all, you just lumped all of us I to your rant. Be polite.

[spidermike007]

16 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

One thing I will say about Florida?

 

People in the trades whether Tree Trimmers, Plumbers, Electricians, Auto Mechanics, Mason's, House Painters, Roofers/Carpenters charge an insane amount of money, and they get it.

 

If you are not handy at fixing things yourself, you can go under quite easy.

 

Your bring up a good point about the cost.

 

My neighbor told me she got a quote for a wood fence around her house.

 

It was around $8,800  ($2800 for the materials, labor (2 days), $6,000. 2 days at 8 hours a day = 16 hours of labor)

 

For $6,000 labor/16 hours  that works out to be around $375 an hour labor.

 

Another neighbor got some quotes to get the outside of his house painted.

 

Average quote was around $5,000. He bought all the paint and supplies for $1500. Labor $3,500 and the house would have been finished in 1 day.

 

$3,500 divided by 8 hours of labor = $437 an hour to paint a one story ranch house.

 

He painted it himself.

 

It seems like all of the trades collude to keep the prices sky high. Tradesmen make more than most professionals here.

 

There is so much new construction going on in this area it is sick. People moving to Florida from everywhere.

 

I had a leaky faucet on the outside of the house. Called about 6 plumbers. None available for days. Average estimate was $375.

 

Fixed it myself for <$10 in parts.

 

It has certainly been a real eye opener since the last time we lived here and honestly this area is probably not worth that high cost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree. Unless one is financially savvy, and wise, as is your case, and plan ahead with the purchase of a home or two, or wealthy, getting a foothold in the US is nearly impossible now. I would not want to move back to the US. But, if I did, forget about it. It would be nearly impossible. Or too much of a struggle. 

 

I am handy. But there are time I need a plumber. And I will not pay 12,000 baht to have one come over for 40 minutes. Not gonna happen. 

 

I have a friend who wants to have some windows replaced at her home in the Tampa area. Wants to put in some large panes. She has been quoted upwards of $10,000. It is not a big job. Likely a 2 day job, and $1500 worth of glass. This hyper inflation, and the ability of simple contractors to charge what a psychiatrist, or patent lawyer charges is sheer insanity. And people are just going along with it. Here, take my hard earned money. 

 

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

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? $800 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? $800 and up.

An oil change for my scooter costs me 200 baht, with Castrol oil. In the US? $75.

When I travel here I stay in very nice four star hotels in Bangkok. 1200-1600 baht. In the US? $130 for a crappy motel. $250 and up for a halfway decent room.

I eat well here. In a smaller town you can get a three course meal for 200-250 baht. In the US? 2000 baht and up, plus sales tax and a nearly mandatory 15% tip. And I get attitude for leaving a $15 or $20 tip. Here, I get nothing but gratitude for a 20-40 baht tip. Recently I was in the US and wanted to order from a delivery service. Besides the meal costing $45 for two dishes, tax and delivery service fees were well over $12. So, $57 for two dishes? I made a sandwich instead of engaging in that foolishness. 

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 at a clinic, and closer to $2000 for an emergency room visit. 

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 decent looking gal with attitude, and alot of rules. 

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.

 

No thanks. 

[jerrymahoney]

24 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I could go on and on, all day long.

OK I'll go for one here not US $ related:

 

 I was house-sitting in a nice Orlando -area house in a deed-restricted community. All the houses had a black mailbox out front with these wrought iron name things vertically attached from the mail box. The birds would alight on the name thing and the black mail boxes were all covered in bird sh*t

 

I took a couple of black cable ties and attached them to the name plate with sharpened ends so the birds could not alight.

 

A few hours later the door bell rang. It was the superintendent who said that you are not allowed to modify the mailbox. I said I just want to make it so the box is not covered in sh*t.

 

He said the rule is no modification of the mailbox and if you do not remove the cable ties NOW the house owner could be fined.

 

That was one of the reasons I said to myself: You and Florida together are not going to last very long.
 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2022 by jerrymahoney

[spidermike007]

29 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

OK I'll go for one here not US $ related:

 

 I was house-sitting in a nice Orlando -area house in a deed-restricted community. All the houses had a black mailbox out front with these wrought iron name things vertically attached from the mail box. The birds would alight on the name thing and the black mail boxes were all covered in bird sh*t

 

I took a couple of black cable ties and attached them to the name plate with sharpened ends so the birds could not alight.

 

A few hours later the door bell rang. It was the superintendent who said that you are not allowed to modify the mailbox. I said I just want to make it so the box is not covered in sh*t.

 

He said the rule is no modification of the mailbox and if you do not remove the cable ties NOW the house owner could be fined.

 

That was one of the reasons I said to myself: You and Florida together are not going to last very long.
 

 

 

Good one. Yeah, the rules and regulations back in the US are a bit much. And now with me too and PC, they are even worse. No thank you. 

[bbko]

49 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

OK I'll go for one here not US $ related:

 

 I was house-sitting in a nice Orlando -area house in a deed-restricted community. All the houses had a black mailbox out front with these wrought iron name things vertically attached from the mail box. The birds would alight on the name thing and the black mail boxes were all covered in bird sh*t

 

I took a couple of black cable ties and attached them to the name plate with sharpened ends so the birds could not alight.

 

A few hours later the door bell rang. It was the superintendent who said that you are not allowed to modify the mailbox. I said I just want to make it so the box is not covered in sh*t.

 

He said the rule is no modification of the mailbox and if you do not remove the cable ties NOW the house owner could be fined.

 

That was one of the reasons I said to myself: You and Florida together are not going to last very long.
 

 

 

Gated communities and HOAs are a joke, too many self entitled types wanting to dictate and control others, no thanks.

[sirineou]

4 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

what's that to do with the price of petrol as a component of average wage in US vs Thailand which is what you started this repartee.

 

Btw just saw this . Have fun. 

https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/Greece/gasoline_prices/

 

Greece Gasoline prices, 07-Mar-2022

Greece Gasoline prices	Litre	Gallon
EUR	1.944	7.359
USD	2.110	7.987

Nothing what so ever , I was just replying to an equally irrelevant reply that  In the US they drive SUVs and in Thailand I drive a scooter m it's more fuel efficient. . I guess I could had replied

" if that's your goal then you should be driving a motorized skate board, but what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?" 

[jerrymahoney]

4 minutes ago, sirineou said:

but what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?" 

Yes and in Thailand when people get bugs in their teeth they just sometimes have bugs for dinner.

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, jerrymahoney said:

Yes and in Thailand when people get bugs in their teeth they just sometimes have bugs for dinner.

I like eggs

[Yellowtail]

On 3/8/2022 at 1:22 AM, Jingthing said:

Jews are actually the number one target (relative to population) of white supremacist hate crimes in the U.S.

While you are correct about Jews being the number one target of hate-crimes in the US, you are wrong for implying that a disproportionate amount of  hate crimes against Jews (or Asians for that matter)  is at the hand of whites, supremacist or otherwise.  

 

On 3/8/2022 at 1:22 AM, Jingthing said:

 But a lot of people (oddly particularly left wingers) don't register Jews as a minority group in that way.

This does not surprise me, why does it surprise you? 

[Yellowtail]

On 3/8/2022 at 8:06 AM, bbko said:

When I travel back to the US, I rarely eat in Thai restaurants, I find it overpriced and not as good as food in Thailand, when I asked a Thai lady working in a Thai restaurant in Phoenix AZ why, she said it's because they can't get the same ingredients.

Is this not like eating at McDonald's in Thailand? 

[Yellowtail]

On 3/8/2022 at 9:18 AM, Isaanlife said:

...because most American's don't eat spicy food.

Which is why Mexican food is so popular and Thai is the fastest growing ethnic food in the US...

[GinBoy2]

8 hours ago, bbko said:

Many Americans are inept when it comes to simple DIY tasks,  here in Pattaya I had a US expat friend complain about a Thai worker fixing a leak with his exposed PVC tubing,  my initial thought was "fix it yourself" it's a simple job. 

Ask a average American if he/she can change the oil in their car, trim a tree in their yard or do basic construction around the house and many will say "hire a Mexican", Americans are soft and lazy. 

Oh I'll fess up to that.

 

Gimmie any IT, electronic project I'm your man.

 

If it involves water, sheetrock or the like however, I'm guaranteed to f***ck it up and cost me twice as much to get get someone to fix the mess I've made.

 

As for oil changes, paying $30 to change your oil and not have to be dealing with disposal, and yes we no longer dump it in the sewer like we we did back in the day, is $30 well spent

 

Sometimes it's good to appreciate your personal limitations

Edited March 9, 2022 by GinBoy2

[Yellowtail]

Why does everyone seem to begrudge tradesmen to make a decent living? 
 

I'm hoppy to see it. 

[ThailandRyan]

This mornings gas prices per the morning News in California.

[Guest Isaanlife]

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I agree. Unless one is financially savvy, and wise, as is your case, and plan ahead with the purchase of a home or two, or wealthy, getting a foothold in the US is nearly impossible now. I would not want to move back to the US. But, if I did, forget about it. It would be nearly impossible. Or too much of a struggle. 

 

I am handy. But there are time I need a plumber. And I will not pay 12,000 baht to have one come over for 40 minutes. Not gonna happen. 

 

I have a friend who wants to have some windows replaced at her home in the Tampa area. Wants to put in some large panes. She has been quoted upwards of $10,000. It is not a big job. Likely a 2 day job, and $1500 worth of glass. This hyper inflation, and the ability of simple contractors to charge what a psychiatrist, or patent lawyer charges is sheer insanity. And people are just going along with it. Here, take my hard earned money. 

 

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

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? $800 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? $800 and up.

An oil change for my scooter costs me 200 baht, with Castrol oil. In the US? $75.

When I travel here I stay in very nice four star hotels in Bangkok. 1200-1600 baht. In the US? $130 for a crappy motel. $250 and up for a halfway decent room.

I eat well here. In a smaller town you can get a three course meal for 200-250 baht. In the US? 2000 baht and up, plus sales tax and a nearly mandatory 15% tip. And I get attitude for leaving a $15 or $20 tip. Here, I get nothing but gratitude for a 20-40 baht tip. Recently I was in the US and wanted to order from a delivery service. Besides the meal costing $45 for two dishes, tax and delivery service fees were well over $12. So, $57 for two dishes? I made a sandwich instead of engaging in that foolishness. 

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 at a clinic, and closer to $2000 for an emergency room visit. 

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 decent looking gal with attitude, and alot of rules. 

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.

 

No thanks. 

I hear what you are saying.

 

Costs are a lot more out of control than I expected them to be when we decided to move back.

 

People that cannot fix things themselves are screwed here.

 

Starting to think long term this location is not going to be the end game, however, it won't be back to Thailand.

 

The only positive thing I can see is the price of the house has doubled. 

[Guest Isaanlife]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

This mornings gas prices per the morning News in California.

I as at the gas station yesterday and asked a guy filling up his large 4x4 truck. US $186 for gas. Ouch!