Countries as good as Thailand for single men

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

IMO we are talking at cross-purposes, I brought my first set of golf clubs here as a tourist, no duty. Second set no duty, third 3000 baht. Retirement visa.

You may be right in saying you can bring in personal effects with no duty payable when you come here, excluding sporting equipment. However, does the exclusion mean you can't bring it in at all, or only that you have to pay duty assessed by a Customs official if you do?

 

Bringing in sporting equipment is or was prohibited if you were applying to live in Thailand on an O or O/A visa. A car similarly. Not a question of declaring and paying duty. I could hardly believe it myself. 

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

If you're talking secondhand - nobody can import a car now. The rules changed a few years ago. Prior to that retirees with the correct visas could import a car but it was not really viable in any case due to hideous import taxes.

You're missing out a step in the changes, because when I came in 2016 it was only retirees who could not. Then the situation was as I quoted where if you work on a visa you could import one car. Now I take your word for the fact that no immigrant on a visa can import a car.

 

I would even have paid customs  the actual value of the car (estimate of value was a very negotiable issue, a good import agent could save you money) to bring it in and was investigating servicing and parts availability. But it wasn't to be. Probably saved me headaches down the line. ????

[Liverpool Lou]

On 4/8/2022 at 4:08 PM, Lolothai said:

is there any similar countries as good as Thailand for single men?

You need to be more specific about the type of single men you're looking for.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Also he doesn't answer the question what he will do with his kids while gallivanting around looking for chicks.

That would be because he doesn't have to answer off-OP prying questions.

[RafPinto]

I came and was a hit.

39

189cm

81kg

Sporty

125Million $ invested in Bitcoin

Looking like Brat Pit

Well build

 

Ladies on ASEAN, please request an up to date picture.

 

Still single and available.

 

[Lacessit]

12 minutes ago, RafPinto said:

I came and was a hit.

39

189cm

81kg

Sporty

125Million $ invested in Bitcoin

Looking like Brat Pit

Well build

 

Ladies on ASEAN, please request an up to date picture.

 

Still single and available.

 

Now you are reminding me of an old Aussie expression: " If bull###t was music, you'd be a brass band."

Keep up the good work.

[Lacessit]

53 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

Bringing in sporting equipment is or was prohibited if you were applying to live in Thailand on an O or O/A visa. A car similarly. Not a question of declaring and paying duty. I could hardly believe it myself. 

So how would you explain what I was able to do, not once but three times?

BTW, no bribes sought or offered.

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Mostly Tranny Variations.

Not one there unlike Thailand where they are everywhere

[Denim]

Dominican Republic

 

[ThailandRyan]

43 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

So how would you explain what I was able to do, not once but three times?

BTW, no bribes sought or offered.gs in twice and my 

I got off the plane on three different trips starting in 2009, and carried my golf bags in twice, and the third time my diving gear.  Here on an ME Non Immigrant O at the time based on marriage.  Retired here and after divorcing brought in another set of clubs in 2019.  Never knew I couldn't keep them here as I was not a tourist, but now I know.  Guess I will need to go to customs prostrate myself and wait....

[khunPer]

On 4/8/2022 at 11:08 AM, Lolothai said:

...is there any similar countries as good as Thailand for single men?

To my knowledge Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam should be excellent alternatives and probably equal expensive to hook up with women for longer term - i.e. same-same, but different...????

[sipi]

Australia is ideal for single men.

Hunting, fishing, drinking...

As long as you're not into sex and women.. They're nasty.

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Not one there unlike Thailand where they are everywhere

Not one tranny there?????????????????????????????

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

So how would you explain what I was able to do, not once but three times?

BTW, no bribes sought or offered.

I think we covered this. I was talking about what you are allowed to bring when you come on a retirement visa. Just repeating for sake of clarity. ????????

Edited April 9, 2022 by Speedhump
Speeling and grammer

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

I think we covered this. I was talking about what you are allowed to bring when you come on a retirement visa. Just repeating for sake of clarity. ????????

Refer the post by ThailandRyan, now there's two of us. You're waffling, clarity my ##se.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

Dominican Republic

 

Too hefty for me. Wouldn't like feeling like a tube of toothpaste being squeezed in the middle.

[CG1 Blue]

11 hours ago, Russell17au said:

What about the kids happiness and future? Are you going to deny these children their right to access to their mother? If that is what your intensions are then I hope she does file a complaint and make it an Interpol case so that you can be arrested wherever you are. You are a selfish arrogant person who does not care about what the children may want, you are only caring about yourself and finding a place where YOU are safe and happy.

You're presuming a lot there without knowing the facts. 

In fairness to the OP, he did choose to take the kids to France with him. If he was an uncaring father he probably would've just left them in Thailand and never seen them again. Just saying...

[StreetCowboy]

12 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Sheesh mate, you are a glutton for punishment

I was working in Warrington, having lunch with the lads, and I said I’d taken a job in Hong Kong.  A compatriot, who had been transferred down South when the Fast Reactor project closed, said “Sure, and if I was choosing somewhere to live, I don’t think I’d choose Hong Kong”

”If I was going to take a job based on where I wanted to live, I’d not be talking to you here, now”

[Speedhump]

49 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Refer the post by ThailandRyan, now there's two of us. You're waffling, clarity my ##se.

I'm not going to start playing whack-a-mole. My posts have been polite (unlike you now) and everything I've said has been factual and completely correct in respect of what people have been allowed to import when immigrating. I understand that it seems no-one can now import cars. I haven't disputed that because I don't have information. I don't think you were aware of that either. So rude, wind your neck in. 

[whereyougo]

13 hours ago, JackGats said:

Quite a few countries far better than TH for "active bachelors" in my opinion. Like Brazil and Colombia. I'd be living there now if they didn't tax my pension.

 

Many other countries are better than TH in that respect too but have so poor an infrastructure that you wouldn't want to live there long.

What BS. As usual long term expats to much in love with Thailand to leave telling others there are far better places

Always an excuse. 

I would leave tomorrow......BUT I cant because ( insert any dodgy reason here)

I have a cat

I have a lady boy

I have a gold fish

I support my wife and the village blah blah ????

 

[spidermike007]

From what I hear from my friends who live there, the threshold for taking care of a PI gal is far lower than here, and so are their expectations. There is nothing inexpensive about caring for a Thai woman! I speak from experience! 

 

In terms of beauty, I find both have stunning women. But, the primary issue for me, if I was single, would be the actual quality of life there. From my point of view:

 

 

Philippines

Pros-

1. The women can be lovely. And many of them speak english. And if you are older guy, that is a plus in the PI. Plus they are way less demanding, and the bar is set much lower, in terms of their expectations. Older guys can get with far younger women, without an issue. The parents actually encourage it! Generally, it is possible to have a real conversation with many women there. Not the case here. It is rare here. Unlike most Thai women, the women there can have a real sense of curiousity, and will ask genuine questions about you, and your life, beyond where do you come from, how much do you earn, and what do you own? The PI seems to have a higher level of intellectual development.

 

2. The visa system is something that some think is simpler. You do need to have money on deposit, and unlike Thailand it remains on deposit the entire time you live there. A minimum of $20,000 for the SRRV Smile visa, unless that has changed.

 

3. The place has thousands of islands, and some stunning beaches, and cleaner water than Thailand, at least on the Gulf Coast. But, the islands are fairly hard to get to, and the services are very limited, and more expensive than in Thailand.

 

4. In general I would say the people can be quite friendly. Especially the women. But, unlike Thailand, even the men can be friendly. I suspect if I lived there, I would have a number of local male friends, unlike here. I have never met a society of men, who are less interested, less curious about, and less willing to get to know foreigners, than I have here in Thailand. It is sometimes astonishing. It is a real disappointment.5. The place is more Westernized. You do not feel like you are living on another planet, which can be nice sometimes. Some shopping can be better, as there are Costco type outlets there. Some of the highways are better, and as an American, I can have goods shipped to me, with a preferred system, that allows low cost shipping, and duty free imports. Unheard of in Thailand. Importation of goods in Thailand can be horrendously difficult. It is an onerous system, one that is outdated by decades, in this age of globalization. Thailand is far, far more insular and fearful of the outside world, than the PI.

nomadcapitalist.com/2018/01/15/the-philippines-residency-srrv/

 

Cons-

1. The entire country is like one big Tijuana. It is depressing. Very little landscaping in the homes, even nice homes are ugly, and have barbed wire, and glass topped walls everywhere you look.

 

2. The security situation is not very good. You always have to keep your eyes open, keep an eye on your back, and beware of robbery, home theft, and violence. It is rampant. I have many friends who live there, and they all say the same thing.

 

3. If you do get into an altercation with a Philippine man, or are getting robbed or harassed, unless you are a 6th degree sensei, do not fight back. An astonishing number of locals are well trained in the fighting arts. Many are good with sticks, knives, blades or any sort, and their hands, fists and feet. I have a friend who is a world class security consultant. He is a black belt in a few different martial arts. He says he can usually fight his way out of a gang of men, nearly anywhere in the world. Except in the PI. That is the only country he will NOT take an assignment.

The average guys there, can take down the average Westerner in five seconds. In Thailand few have those kinds of skills. Very few.

 

4. The food sucks. The only other country I can think of with worse food, is Cuba. Granted, if you are willing to spend the money, you can find good food. But, it is not the general rule, as it is here. Also, the access to fresh fruits and vegetables is pathetic compared to Thailand. Very low quality, and often not fresh. Thailand is a paradise by comparison, when it comes to all things related to food.

 

5. Pollution. They use a lower grade of diesel. So, there is alot of soot in the air. The PI has an epidemic of lung diseases and respiratory diseases. Even on many of the populated islands. The hospitals are full of people who are having a very hard time breathing. It is a real issue there. Lung disease is at an epidemic level, though the authorities do not like to talk about it, and publish very little information on it.

 

6. Aesthetics. The average house you would rent, looks like a slum. Tall walls, with barbed wire, to keep out intruders. And they just do not pay attention to landscaping and gardens like the Thai people do. So, most neighborhoods are fabulously ugly. Alot of slums in the big cities, and just not physically appealing.

 

7. Renting. There is a vastly lower number of rental units available, few are as nice as what you can find in Thailand, and it is almost always more expensive, with the possible exception of Central Bangkok. You just cannot find the studio apartments like the ones available all over Hua Hin, for 6,000 to 8,000 baht a month. That does not exist there.

 

8. Infrastructure. The entire country lacks the infrastructure you have here in Thailand. As I am typing now, I am enjoying a 180MB download speed, and a 100MB upload speed, all on fiber optic cable, for 800 baht a month. Unheard of in many countries, including the US! Triple the cost there. No sky train network anywhere near comparable to Bangkok. Mo MRT network either. They have one under construction, and it will be limited to ten stations.

 

Shall I go on? I could. As far as I am concerned, the only reason to live there is the women, and a slightly more cooperative, and far less xenophobic and racist government. Alot of ex-pats are looking to leave Thailand, as the current administration is so far beyond heinous and incompetent, it is unspeakable.

 

security

 

I have a friend who does private security for a lot of very high net worth individuals, and corporate CEOs, when they travel, and he told me that the only country in the world that he will not take an assignment is the Philippines. When I asked him why he reminded me that he was at the 6th or 7th degree level in six different martial arts, besides the fact that he was 6'5 and about 280 lbs. of muscle. Spent his whole life training. Not the kind of guy you would want to mess with. He told me under normal circumstances he could incapacitate a group of four or five guys, in under a minute. Not in the PI. 

 

He said that in general, the Philippine men had the greatest degree of fighting skills of any group of people in the world, and that if you encountered a single guy, or a group of Philippine guys on the street you just never knew what their level of skill was, and you had to assume that they were expert street fighters. He said many were experts with knives, sticks and improvised weapons. Not the case here.

 

If you add on top of that, the fact that the country is extremely poor and that there's a fairly high level of desperation, it makes the Philippines a very, very dangerous place. Crime there is very opportunistic. And being a foreigner makes you a potential target. Again, not the case in Thailand. 

 

You really have to know what you're doing, you really have to know where you're going at all times, especially at night, and you always have to have eyes in the back of your head, and constantly looking over your shoulder. Of course, it varies depending on the city, the part of the city, and the region. But it is just one of many reasons I would not want to live there. 

 

I've been told this by a number of friends who live in the Philippines and it's been my observation, the several times that I have visited. 

 

I like the people. The level of english skills and the women seem to be the big draw for most guys. But random guys in the street, can be a hazard, and that is variable I would want to have to deal with, regularly. 

 

I consider the PI to be far more of a ghetto experience. But, I am referring to the environment, and I think you are referring to the social aspect. I agree with that. Thais are spectacularly insular, and seem to have little to no curiosity about the outside world. The people in the PI are infinitely more open minded, and far more Western. And the language is a huge plus in the PI. Many speak good english, and I would guess if you were attempting to speak poor Tagalog, the people would try far harder than here, to understand what you are trying to say. Since they are more Westernized, they are likely more creative, linguistically. If you do not have the pronunciation and the tones down perfectly here, the people are completely lost. A total inability to dance around in circles intellectually. And they barely even care to try to understand what you are saying! That is a huge nuisance and annoyance here. 

 

The PI is a foreign country. Thailand is a distant planet.

[Lolothai]

3 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

You're presuming a lot there without knowing the facts. 

In fairness to the OP, he did choose to take the kids to France with him. If he was an uncaring father he probably would've just left them in Thailand and never seen them again. Just saying...

indeed it would be long to answer so I didn't bother, thank you to do it for me. I'm taking very well of my kids, I'm doing only this, from morning to evening and it was the case already in Thailand. Meanwhile their mother who call them once a week is busy with her boyfriend in the house I bought and built for our family and the future of my kids, not the future of her and her boyfriend. She spend her time exchanging love word on another facebook she made for other men...

I'm not sure to go anywhere anyway, I'm just very lonely and shocked but I have to keep it inside and show happiness to my children.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/9/2022 at 3:57 AM, StreetCowboy said:

I am struggling to recall the last time that I benefitted from anonymous advice from strangers.

But back in the day, I worked in Middlesbrough. 

Mickey  D says to me "Cowboy, you've been to America; where would you recommend?"

"Aye, well, Mickey, the best night out I had was in Albuquerque, but..."

"That's all I need to know"
I went back to Middlesbrough some years later, and we met up again.

"Yefookinbastart" and if I had not been so nimble at backing off we'd have come to blows.
"Ah went t'Albaqurque, and Ah've neva' bin so bored so quickly"

And I could see how that could happen, and how it might have been avoided if he'dpaused to listen to the whole story.

You are not strangers, and their experience may not be relevant to you.
Times may differ, and what has happened in the past may not be the same as your experience in the future.

 

If you are looking for information, ask specific questions, not recommendations.

If you are looking for advice, then you deserve all you get.

Reminds me of going to Sri Lanka on the advice of a guy I knew, but when I saw him again he got an earful. Probably more going on in Saudi than in that <deleted> place.

[scubascuba3]

7 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Not one tranny there?????????????????????????????

I never saw one when i was there, but Africans are more masculine than Thais so likely to be a lot less

[KhaoYai]

10 hours ago, Speedhump said:

Now I take your word for the fact that no immigrant on a visa can import a car.

Not only Immigrants - the importation of secondhand cars hase been banned.  There are limited exceptions I believe - such as emergency services vehicles and those used by diplomats.  I believe the ban also extends to motorcycles.

Edited April 9, 2022 by KhaoYai

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

Not only Immigrants - the importation of secondhand cars hase been banned.  There are limited exceptions I believe - such as emergency services vehicles and those used by diplomats.  I believe the ban also extends to motorcycles.

Thanks for that, I misunderstood. 

[Lacessit]

9 hours ago, Speedhump said:

I'm not going to start playing whack-a-mole. My posts have been polite (unlike you now) and everything I've said has been factual and completely correct in respect of what people have been allowed to import when immigrating. I understand that it seems no-one can now import cars. I haven't disputed that because I don't have information. I don't think you were aware of that either. So rude, wind your neck in. 

You'll have to put my rudeness down to exasperation. You've got the evidence before you, and still persist with a spurious claim one cannot bring sporting equipment into Thailand as a retiree. Put me on ignore if you can't handle the truth.

[lopburi3]

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

2. The visa system is something that some think is simpler. You do need to have money on deposit, and unlike Thailand it remains on deposit the entire time you live there. A minimum of $20,000 for the SRRV Smile visa, unless that has changed.

This point of your thesis is a bit off - you do not need money on deposit - many have access to retirement with minimal or no deposits (having served there for one).  But most staying long term just use tourist visa extensions as that only requires one day every three years outside of PI.  Those getting married have full access for stay.

 

Nobody will argue food is great but it is not that bad either.  Much more access to fast food than Thailand (at lower prices) and pork is always good.  If able to pay supermarket prices most US food products are easily available.  And Thai restaurants are available.

 

Do not want to make this longer - suffice to say do not fully agree with a lot of the cons - but do agree they are factors - just not as serious as indicated for those minding their business.   Do appreciate the information.

[HappyExpat57]

On 4/8/2022 at 9:57 PM, Grecian said:

Depends on your age, looks etc

Nah. Depends on the size of your wallet.

[HappyExpat57]

I used to travel frequently to Dominican Republic - Sosua and surrounding villages. It's different. There was one place in Puerta Plata next to Sosua where I found entertainment like you'd never find in Thailand, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.