Would you imagine Thailand or Scotland to be more welcoming to American retirees?

[Bangkok Barry]

13 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Before I provide my own reasons for wishing to live in Scotland, before I die, let me refer you to this link:

 

https://www.scotland.org/live-in-scotland

 

In addition to warm and friendly people, vibrant cities, and stunning scenery, I also enjoy the humor of Scotland.

 

Also, culture.

 

Equally importantly, I like the architecture.

 

There are many things I like about Scotland.

 

If I listed my likes, concerning Scotland, then I would, once more, be accused of posting too much, and writing too much, on any given thread, on this forum.

 

I think Scotland is right for me.

 

Years ago, many moons ago, I thought China was right for me.  And, it was.  But then the political winds changed, and China is no longer for me.

 

Thailand is like heaven on earth, for sure.

Yet, after so many years in Asia, maybe I need to get back to my roots.

 

You might not know this, but, some of my ancestry is Scottish.

Some of my roots might even have originated from the House of Stuart, although I cannot prove it.

 

One thing is for sure; I can trace my lineage back to Scotland.

 

Therefore, why wouldn't I wish to return home to see the land of some of my forebears?

 

Furthermore, I like the peace and quiet of a village in Scotland.

 

Maybe I like living in a house of stone, rather than in a house of reinforced concrete.

 

Many reasons, actually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You list so many positives, why are you asking us? Just to confirm what you already know? To tell you things you don't know? I'm a little confused.

 

Personally, as a Londoner now living in Issan, I would have no problem with living in Scotland if I had to. I'd choose the Western Isles for the rugged scenery and the crashing waves that you write of. But if you are concerned about getting fragile as the years advance then a city might be a wiser choice because of the ease of getting to the shops. And, if bones are aching, then you are never likely to be hot, just warmish at best. You know that, of course.

 

Look up Steve Marsh on YouTube - he makes great 20 minute-or-so videos each week in which he visits many places around his country. A more naturally friendly man you could never wish to meet.

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

We have some of the best haggis in the world

That's like Thais saying they make the world's best wine and cheese.

[DezLez]

3 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Perhaps you have heard how copper wire was invented. Two Scotsmen had a tug of war with a penny.

Actually it was a farthing!

 

 

[spidermike007]

You have a lovely writing style. Ever published anything?

 

It sounds like climate is not an issue for you. Perhaps it is time to look at the legal aspects of residency there? They might be more welcoming than we think, as the population is expected to drop. 

 

National Records of Scotland (NRS) estimates that the number of people in the country will peak in 2028 at 5.48 million and then fall by 1.8% by 2045.

 

The drop is driven in part by a reduction in net migration - the number of people entering Scotland minus the number of people leaving. 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-62741746

[GammaGlobulin]

34 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Quite sure I am Australian, that's what my passport says.

 

I am a retired research scientist. Having to write reports in terms managers can understand is why I write tight paragraphs, as you put it. Discourses such as yours would be beyond their attention span.

 

Women carrying my bag here ( actually, they use trolleys and golf carts ) is about employment opportunity in Thailand. Look at any professional golf tournament on YouTube, the overwhelming majority of caddies are male.

 

I always have the pin out when I am putting, and frankly think the new-found practice of leaving the pin in because it is no longer a penalty is downright stupid.

 

My only stimulant prior to writing this post is a piece of Lindt 99% cocoa.

 

 

 

 

I KNEW it! 

 

I have had you pegged as, prof at Columbia University, or, Steven Pinker's older brother, some other high-class dude of Academia, most likely of the Natural Sciences. 

 

Why? 

 

You never get ruffled, and always remain above the frey, politely and respectfully replying to all comers. 

 

You must have been a dynamite teacher... before choosing research. 

 

So then, if you did not work for Lockheed-Martin, what was your field of research?

 

Please don't tell me that you are a Social Science freak, so unbelievable. 

 

My guess is Physics. Physicists are playful, and you love playing golf. 

 

A golf ball is a particle, if treated as such. 

 

I give up. 

 

What did you research in the 1970s? 

 

Anything to do with either mining or kangaroos? 

 

The pill is now up to you to address. Address the ball. Your honors, sir. 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[GinBoy2]

15 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Maybe based on the last refuge from the insanity of the rest of the world?

 

Not sure, yet.

 

(Or, maybe as tit for tat in some partial compensation for the Lend-Lease Act of March 11, 1941?)

 

Well, lend/lease was paid off in 2006, so that won't help!

 

Anyhoo, as the resident US Anglophile I'll chip in for locations. 

 

I started visiting and working in the UK back in the 80's. 

 

By far the greatest locations are on the Welsh coast. Isolated, welcoming people, and breathtaking scenery.

 

Scotland was all a bit too Braveheart for me, and the locals not so welcoming.

 

As for how you could ever get a a non work visa to live there, you might need to marry one of the local toothless octogenarian's

[Lacessit]

22 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I KNEW it! 

 

I have had you pegged as, prof at Columbia University, or, Steven Pinker's older brother, some other high-class dude of Academia, most likely of the Natural Sciences. 

 

Why? 

 

You never get ruffled, and always remain above the frey, politely and respectfully replying to all comers. 

 

You must have been a dynamite teacher... before choosing research. 

 

So then, if you did not work for Lockheed-Martin, what was your field of research?

 

Please don't tell me that you are a Social Science freak, so unbelievable. 

 

My guess is Physics. Physicists are playful, and you love playing golf. 

 

A golf ball is a particle, if treated as such. 

 

I give up. 

 

What did you research in the 1970s? 

 

Anything to do with either mining or kangaroos? 

 

The pill is now up to you to address. Address the ball. Your honors, sir. 

 

 

Analytical chemistry, morphing into process chemistry. Steel, metal coatings, paints, waste treatment, corrosion science.

 

I  got into research because one of my more intelligent senior managers figured out I was much better at it, than in supervising people.

 

I am only now attempting to teach my Thai quasi-grand-daughter English, at her request. I have never taught any subject previously, although I have published a number of papers in scientific journals, and been invited to speak at conferences.

 

Oddly enough, mining and kangaroos were linked during my sojourn in the mining industry. Phosphorus is an undesirable contaminant of iron ore, we finally figured out the phosphorus in one otherwise very large  orebody was present in surface caves, where kangaroos were excreting phosphorus-rich poop.

 

 

[scorecard]

14 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Nice to know where you are from, actually.

 

I think culture outweighs climate in most cases.

 

Humor, too, is culturally based.

 

Family too.

[GinBoy2]

9 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Analytical chemistry, morphing into process chemistry. Steel, metal coatings, paints, waste treatment, corrosion science.

 

I  got into research because one of my more intelligent senior managers figured out I was much better at it, than in supervising people.

 

I am only now attempting to teach my Thai quasi-grand-daughter English, at her request. I have never taught any subject previously, although I have published a number of papers in scientific journals, and been invited to speak at conferences.

 

Oddly enough, mining and kangaroos were linked during my sojourn in the mining industry. Phosphorus is an undesirable contaminant of iron ore, we finally figured out the phosphorus in one otherwise very large  orebody was present in surface caves, where kangaroos were excreting phosphorus-rich poop.

 

 

Interesting.

 

I was a material science grad started off in Aerospace then the semiconductor industry for my working career..

 

I think I railroaded myself into management throughout my career, which  ultimately I hated.

 

I loved the science and the technology, but hated all the man management and politics of it.

 

Given a 'do over' I would pursue a much more academic path.

 

But we are where we are, and at this point it's all over

[NoshowJones]

Don't go to Scotland unless you can afford very extortionate heating bills, and that doesn't mean only in winter, it means about 90% of the whole year. Days without heavy winds are also few and far between.

[NoshowJones]

16 hours ago, Jingthing said:

On what basis would Scotland allow you to live there?

Jump on a dinghy in France then sale to England, then hitchhike up to Scotland. Easy peasy. ????

[NoshowJones]

14 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Before I provide my own reasons for wishing to live in Scotland, before I die, let me refer you to this link:

 

https://www.scotland.org/live-in-scotland

 

In addition to warm and friendly people, vibrant cities, and stunning scenery, I also enjoy the humor of Scotland.

 

Also, culture.

 

Equally importantly, I like the architecture.

 

There are many things I like about Scotland.

 

If I listed my likes, concerning Scotland, then I would, once more, be accused of posting too much, and writing too much, on any given thread, on this forum.

 

I think Scotland is right for me.

 

Years ago, many moons ago, I thought China was right for me.  And, it was.  But then the political winds changed, and China is no longer for me.

 

Thailand is like heaven on earth, for sure.

Yet, after so many years in Asia, maybe I need to get back to my roots.

 

You might not know this, but, some of my ancestry is Scottish.

Some of my roots might even have originated from the House of Stuart, although I cannot prove it.

 

One thing is for sure; I can trace my lineage back to Scotland.

 

Therefore, why wouldn't I wish to return home to see the land of some of my forebears?

 

Furthermore, I like the peace and quiet of a village in Scotland.

 

Maybe I like living in a house of stone, rather than in a house of reinforced concrete.

 

Many reasons, actually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Furthermore, I like the peace and quiet of a village in Scotland." That's OK if you don't mind the wind and rain battering your door and windows most of the time.

[Lacessit]

11 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Interesting.

 

I was a material science grad started off in Aerospace then the semiconductor industry for my working career..

 

I think I railroaded myself into management throughout my career, which  ultimately I hated.

 

I loved the science and the technology, but hated all the man management and politics of it.

 

Given a 'do over' I would pursue a much more academic path.

 

But we are where we are, and at this point it's all over

I think it is true of all people if they enjoy what they doing, they will usually do it well.

 

I never was an academic, in hindsight working in a range of industries prior to going into research gave me a broader perspective than Ph.D's, who usually were experts in narrow fields. I could think outside the square in solving problems.

 

Agree, I would be a dinosaur in a laboratory now.

 

 

[alex8912]

I think it might be easier for you and similar to Scotland. Why not just move to Maine?? 

[Sparktrader]

3 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Actually, there are those who have been to Paris, and yet have never SEEN Paris. 

 

I must have been speaking figuratively, while you misread me literally. 

 

Sorry for the resultant contextual confusion. 

 

I said you were American. You posted some nonsense about being Chinese.

 

You obviously like to troll.

 

This is a Thai forum not a Scottish forum.

 

What is the purpose behind these posts?

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Analytical chemistry, morphing into process chemistry. Steel, metal coatings, paints, waste treatment, corrosion science.

 

I  got into research because one of my more intelligent senior managers figured out I was much better at it, than in supervising people.

 

I am only now attempting to teach my Thai quasi-grand-daughter English, at her request. I have never taught any subject previously, although I have published a number of papers in scientific journals, and been invited to speak at conferences.

 

Oddly enough, mining and kangaroos were linked during my sojourn in the mining industry. Phosphorus is an undesirable contaminant of iron ore, we finally figured out the phosphorus in one otherwise very large  orebody was present in surface caves, where kangaroos were excreting phosphorus-rich poop.

 

 

Thank you for your reply. 

 

Most likely, I am much mistaken. However, 20 years ago, I happened to read an article arguing that our world might soon become almost totally depleted of phosphorus, leading to a dire lack of fertilizer for shrubs, such as corn. 

 

Please check the literature if you don't believe me. 

 

As a chemist, are you able to speak to this, namely, why we were so worried about running out of phosphorus in the past? And why this has become a non-issue, today? 

 

As old as you admit to being, then you must recall the worry among the public. 

 

My thinking is that when we ran out of easily-mined bird guano, most people thought it was like Peak Oil, only worse. 

 

Also, if the world should ever run out of kangaroos, then where in the world would we get phosphorus from? 

 

I once read a great book, which is still for sale on the internet, written in the 1950s, titled "Pooh Pooh Make the Frowers Glow". Probably written by a US Army General's wife. Certainly most informative about night soil and the need of plants for phosphorus. 

 

Therefore, would you mind explaining why, years ago, phosphorus was in such high demand. And why, these days, night soil is considered to be more of a nuisance, rather than a benifit to farmers. 

 

For example, might it be due to higher concentrations of heavy metals? 

 

Or, is this due to nothing other than aesthetic considerations. 

 

As you know, some farmers raise chickens in a mobile chicken cage which can be periodically moved from one sector to another, in order to enrich the soil beneath the cage. 

 

Strangely enough, during recent decades, I have rarely thought much about night soil. 

 

It must have been your kangaroo story. 

 

By the way, I recall Clavell mentioning in one of his books about the distinctive, and alluring, smell of Hong Kong, when one first climbed down the stairs to the tarmac. 

 

Check me if I'm wrong, but I think he identified the smell as a mixture of diesel and sewage from the harbor. 

 

So invigorating! 

 

But now, those great days are lost. 

 

Now, fertilizer comes in a paper sack, sanitized with zero smell. 

 

I never found the smell of night soil particularly offensive. 

 

Why? 

 

Maybe because I am the last generation to grow up reading Tom Jones, Henry Fielding, prior to puberty, and being transfixed by the amazing writing. For example, his use of amazing titles to introduce each new chapter. 

 

One must, truly, read Tom Jones at a prepubescent age, otherwise, pointless. 

 

Anyway, hope y'all enjoy the sanitized version of Hong Kong. 

 

Clavell was there when Hong Kong was real. 

 

Now, nothing is real. 

 

I have watched Hong Kong crumble under the boot. For decades. 

 

Nothing is real, anymore. 

 

Or, maybe you prefer an Epcott Center experience, from the shores of Tripoli to the halls of everywhere. 

 

Cleanliness is next to... nothing. 

 

Enjoy. 

 

Enjoy your sanitized lives. 

Edited September 28, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[Lacessit]

20 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Thank you for your reply. 

 

Most likely, I am much mistaken. However, 20 years ago, I happened to read an article arguing that our world might soon become almost totally depleted of phosphorus, leading to a dire lack of fertilizer for shrubs, such as corn. 

 

Please check the literature if you don't believe me. 

 

As a chemist, are you able to speak to this, namely, why we were so worried about running out of phosphorus in the past? And why this has become a non-issue, today? 

 

As old as you admit to being, then you must recall the worry among the public. 

 

My thinking is that when we ran out of easily-mined bird guano, most people thought it was like Peak Oil, only worse. 

 

Also, if the world should ever run out of kangaroos, then where in the world would we get phosphorus from? 

 

I once read a great book, which is still for sale on the internet, written in the 1950s, titled "Pooh Pooh Make the Frowers Glow". Probably written by a US Army General's wife. Certainly most informative about night soil and the need of plants for phosphorus. 

 

Therefore, would you mind explaining why, years ago, phosphorus was in such high demand. And why, these days, night soil is considered to be more of a nuisance, rather than a benifit to farmers. 

 

For example, might it be due to higher concentrations of heavy metals? 

 

Or, is this due to nothing other than aesthetic considerations. 

 

As you know, some farmers raise chickens in a mobile chicken cage which can be periodically moved from one sector to another, in order to enrich the soil beneath the cage. 

 

Strangely enough, during recent decades, I have rarely thought much about night soil. 

 

It must have been your kangaroo story. 

 

By the way, I recall Clavell mentioning in one of his books about the distinctive, and alluring, smell of Hong Kong, when one first climbed down the stairs to the tarmac. 

 

Check me if I'm wrong, but I think he identified the smell as a mixture of diesel and sewage from the harbor. 

 

So invigorating! 

 

But now, those great days are lost. 

 

Now, fertilizer comes in a paper sack, sanitized with zero smell. 

 

I never found the smell of night soil particularly offensive. 

 

Why? 

 

Maybe because I am the last generation to grow up reading Tom Jones, Henry Fielding, prior to puberty, and being transfixed by the amazing writing. For example, his use of amazing titles to introduce each new chapter. 

 

One must, truly, read Tom Jones at a prepubescent age, otherwise, pointless. 

 

Anyway, hope y'all enjoy the sanitized version of Hong Kong. 

 

Clavell was there when Hong Kong was real. 

 

Now, nothing is real. 

 

I have watched Hong Kong crumble under the boot. For decades. 

 

Nothing is real, anymore. 

 

Or, maybe you prefer an Epcott Center experience, from the shores of Tripoli to the halls of everywhere. 

 

Cleanliness is next to... nothing. 

 

Enjoy. 

 

Enjoy your sanitized lives. 

AFAIK phosphate is no longer an issue due to large reserves under development in Australia. Google Lady Annie.

 

It seems potash is now the fertilizer in fashion, replacing nitrogen-type fertilizers dependent on Russian oil and natural gas.

 

What this has to do with a purported move to Scotland..... oh, never mind.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by Lacessit

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

"Furthermore, I like the peace and quiet of a village in Scotland." That's OK if you don't mind the wind and rain battering your door and windows most of the time.

250 kph gusting winds never affected me much. 

 

It was only the brine blowing off the sea which killed the electronics. 

 

No motherboard known to Man can continue to operate under such conditions for more than 12 months. 

 

The constant Northeast winds, blowing from the sea, can turn any new car into a rust bucket within 18 months. 

[rickudon]

Scotland is a lovely country, but you need to be fit to enjoy it and be able to survive being wet and cold. Spent 7 weeks living in a tent on the shores of the Solway Firth, weather was mainly good (but try walking 6 miles in the rain at night, with no public transport - also so dark you cannot even tell if the road is in front of you or a ditch!).

 

Also a later trip touring Scotland by car, nights were so cold  it was hard to sleep in a tent with an ordinary sleeping bag. Then got 2 days of continuous rain - couldn't dry clothes easily, had to sleep in the car (a small car). Both trips were in summer. Also did a week on the isle of Arran in April - went swimming but 2 minutes was all you could last or you risked dying of exposure. If you have lived continuously in Thailand for 10 years and are over 75, i would give you a 50/50 chance of surviving a Scottish winter.

[StreetCowboy]

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

That's like Thais saying they make the world's best wine and cheese.

Where do you think has better haggis?
 

[StreetCowboy]

7 minutes ago, rickudon said:

Scotland is a lovely country, but you need to be fit to enjoy it and be able to survive being wet and cold. Spent 7 weeks living in a tent on the shores of the Solway Firth, weather was mainly good (but try walking 6 miles in the rain at night, with no public transport - also so dark you cannot even tell if the road is in front of you or a ditch!).

 

Also a later trip touring Scotland by car, nights were so cold  it was hard to sleep in a tent with an ordinary sleeping bag. Then got 2 days of continuous rain - couldn't dry clothes easily, had to sleep in the car (a small car). Both trips were in summer. Also did a week on the isle of Arran in April - went swimming but 2 minutes was all you could last or you risked dying of exposure. If you have lived continuously in Thailand for 10 years and are over 75, i would give you a 50/50 chance of surviving a Scottish winter.

You might have to spend a lot of the winter sleeping indoors, and in the summer, I'd be nervous that the midges would make me short-tempered if I spent too much time galivanting in the gloaming.  

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Where do you think has better haggis?
 

Probably no point in asking him. 

 

He will only reply that the best things in life are to be found either in the 9th hole, or the 18th hole..

 

The best sound he has ever heard is the sound of a pristine ball falling into the cup. 

 

Golfing can become addictive. 

 

Golfing can also become a distraction from the reality of life, and death. 

 

Some men face reality when it hits them, like a pizza pie. 

 

Others, continue to whack away at a tiny white pill, until they finally drop in a small pit of sand, surrounded by carefully clipped grass. 

 

And then, the caddies rake sand over his body. 

 

Here lies the true duffer. Just another hazard on the golf course. 

[Lacessit]

49 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Where do you think has better haggis?
 

Good, better and best IMO are not adjectives that can be applied to haggis. Execrable is.

[Lacessit]

26 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Probably no point in asking him. 

 

He will only reply that the best things in life are to be found either in the 9th hole, or the 18th hole..

 

The best sound he has ever heard is the sound of a pristine ball falling into the cup. 

 

Golfing can become addictive. 

 

Golfing can also become a distraction from the reality of life, and death. 

 

Some men face reality when it hits them, like a pizza pie. 

 

Others, continue to whack away at a tiny white pill, until they finally drop in a small pit of sand, surrounded by carefully clipped grass. 

 

And then, the caddies rake sand over his body. 

 

Here lies the true duffer. Just another hazard on the golf course. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9fXG2v0bS8

 

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Good, better and best IMO are not adjectives that can be applied to haggis. Execrable is.

I am so surprised by your very deep lack of understanding about so many things, not least of which is your total ignorance concerning acquired taste preference, which kicks in at a very early age. 

 

I think you forgot to fill us in concerning just which schools you attended. 

 

Please be wary of creeping dementia. 

 

Someday soon, you might even forget which hole you are on. 

 

You might even start on the back nine, and then continue playing 36 holes, from 10 to 18, four times, until the cows come home, or your golf widow rescues you. 

 

Round and round he goes. When will he stop? Not even the caddies know not. 

 

Golf is the most boring game. Unless, of course, you can play golf in a gentlemanly way, like John Candy. 

 

RIP, John Candy. We love you. We love you for giving the finger to the formal game of golf. 

 

Most caddies laugh at golphers like you. But only after receiving your tip, back at the caddy shack. 

 

If you can't do one or two under par, by the age of 18, then give it up. 

 

Still, each to his own. 

 

What's your flava? 

Edited September 28, 2022 by GammaGlobulin

[Jingthing]

When in Edinburgh stop by Taco Mazama for their Haggis burrito.

 

Proof that God doesn't exist?

[1FinickyOne]

22 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I think I'm still young enough to get another degree before I die. 

That's good because you will probably lose 50 degrees, fahrenheit 

[GammaGlobulin]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

When in Edinburgh stop by Taco Mazama for their Haggis burrito.

 

Proof that God doesn't exist?

What? 

 

You need more proof? 

 

Will you never be satisfied? 

 

[hotchilli]

On 9/28/2022 at 1:54 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

What would be waiting for me in Scotland, anyway?

Quality whisky at affordable prices.

[Joe Farang]

If you can understand Rab, then you'll have no problem with the language.