I spoke to a farang recently in Pattaya  near the Nirun Condo building.

I said "  are you nearly retired ?

 

He said " mate I'm only 49

He looked 65 

He knew what I was thinking 

 

He said "mate ,I have had a hard life "

12 years in jail !

8 kids to 8 different mothers !

Construction Labor work ,drinking ,smoking !

 

What about you ?

Has life been easy or hard 

.did you have a hard manual job ?

 Jail? Divorce? Gambling? Recession? 

 

What about those who did shift work?

One week day ,one week night ,one week afternoon like a nurse or a police , how would they make you age or workl like a carpet layer ,

 

 

Another made up topic?

I would say I've had an interesting life in UK and abroad wasn't easy at times, ups and downs.

 

Just feel lucky I got to retire early in 2005 and come and live in Thailand.

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

He said "mate ,I have had a hard life "

12 years in jail !

8 kids to 8 different mothers !

Construction Labor work ,drinking ,smoking !

All self inflicted, I feel sorry for the poor little b*******ds he's fathered.

 

As for your question, no I wouldn't say I've had a hard life. There have been hard times, and I worked hard for an education and then at work, but this has ensured my life isn't hard.

 

.

1 hour ago, georgegeorgia said:

 

12 years in jail !

 

Decent stretch, what for ?

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Just feel lucky I got to retire early in 2005 and come and live in Thailand.

Nearly 20 years retired sounds great. I hope to retire in 10 years, aged 67.

 

I had a hard life in some regards, 20 years as an alcoholic/drug addicts isn't easy. 

 

I feel lucky that after 5 years working in the oil industry, I decided to quit the rat race and come to Thailand, in 1992. 

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Nearly 20 years retired sounds great. I hope to retire in 10 years, aged 67.

 

I had a hard life in some regards, 20 years as an alcoholic/drug addicts isn't easy. 

 

I feel lucky that after 5 years working in the oil industry, I decided to quit the rat race and come to Thailand, in 1992. 

At 67?

Leaving it too long , but as you said your already in Thailand 

1 minute ago, georgegeorgia said:

At 67?

Leaving it too long , but as you said your already in Thailand 

I enjoy working, but will cut down my hours probably every year. 

Nah, born with a gold plated silver spoon in my mouth.

Partied hard.

Work shy, so always got enough sleep.

 

12 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Nearly 20 years retired sounds great. I hope to retire in 10 years, aged 67.

 

I had a hard life in some regards, 20 years as an alcoholic/drug addicts isn't easy. 

 

I feel lucky that after 5 years working in the oil industry, I decided to quit the rat race and come to Thailand, in 1992. 

My target was 55 but managed to retire at 57 because waited for my youngest son to finish school.

19 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

My target was 55 but managed to retire at 57 because waited for my youngest son to finish school.

So you survived on savings during that time?

36 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

My target was 55 but managed to retire at 57 because waited for my youngest son to finish school.

I retired age 45, when I thought I had enough money to live the rest of my life.

Life was never that hard, mostly sat in a chair, but tedious work with little time off.

Has life been easy or hard 

... yes & no

.did you have a hard manual job ?

... a few involved manual labor, w/bad back to prove it

 Jail? Divorce? Gambling? Recession? 

... Jail ... just overnights

... Divorces 3

... Gambling ... me/no ... wife #3/yes, 

... Recessions ... laid off or industry died 5 times (steel, lithographic printing, 3 airlines/bankrupt)

 

What about those who did shift work?

... worked all shifts, some by choice, some not, a couple (3rd/midnight shift), low pay job, by choice only till I found something better.  Why keeping days open.

 

At times I worked 3 jobs, not by choice, and other times, I ran 3 businesses (self owned), by choice.   

 

1 salaried job I worked 80 hrs a week, mandatory 5 double shifts every week.

 

Other job, could come & go as I please, and usually 2 double shifts w/5 days off a week. Why that one lasted more than 1-3-6-12 months, actually 13 yrs, w/pittance of a pension.  Great airline flight bennies though.

 

Damn roller coaster ride, as sometimes, barely enough money, but at least always enough.   Other times, too much money.  

 

Retired @ 45 ish, so kind of hard to complain.  68 now, 69 at year's end.  

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

So you survived on savings during that time?

Yes observation of you.

Came May 2005 and the best bit was getting nearly all my money over from UK in September 2005 @ 75 to £.

4 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Yes observation of you.

Came May 2005 and the best bit was getting nearly all my money over from UK in September 2005 @ 75 to £.

The year a bought my condo, happy days.

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I retired age 45, when I thought I had enough money to live the rest of my life.

Life was never that hard, mostly sat in a chair, but tedious work with little time off.

Well I enjoyed my job and had mortgage commitments so 55 was the target but as said 57 because my son lived with me and wanted to stay in same school not move to live with mum and start another school for the sake of two years.

Not a problem because my Thai wife was with me staying in England until we left the dump.

4 minutes ago, roo860 said:

The year a bought my condo, happy days.

Good to hear. ????

Had already built and paid for the house in Thailand.

Haha, tend to find that the people who look older than they are actually had wonderful lives, perhaps a bit too many vices and parties took their toll physically but yep wonderful lives.

 

I get asked a lot if I had a hard life, nope wahhaha, just overdid the wonderful bits.

I learned to enjoy reading more than drinking. Cooking more than restaurants. Using charm to get women more than money. Having  girlfriends more than having kids. Exercise more than owning cars.

 

With those preferences even a lazy git like me could work a bit and retire by 45

 

I'm surprised how easy life has been.

3 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

My target was 55 but managed to retire at 57 because waited for my youngest son to finish school.

Great, I'm waiting for my youngest to finish uni, which should be in 5 years.

Life is as hard or as good as one makes it to be. Ok not always but often the sole responsable of many hassles in life, is oneself. Not always, I repeat, but often.

34 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Great, I'm waiting for my youngest to finish uni, which should be in 5 years.

Good on ya, cool stuff taking care of ya kids. ????

6 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

I spoke to a farang recently in Pattaya  near the Nirun Condo building.

I said "  are you nearly retired ?

 

He said " mate I'm only 49

He looked 65 

He knew what I was thinking 

 

He said "mate ,I have had a hard life "

12 years in jail !

8 kids to 8 different mothers !

Construction Labor work ,drinking ,smoking !

 

What about you ?

Has life been easy or hard 

.did you have a hard manual job ?

 Jail? Divorce? Gambling? Recession? 

 

What about those who did shift work?

One week day ,one week night ,one week afternoon like a nurse or a police , how would they make you age or workl like a carpet layer ,

 

 

That conversation was private now you've posted all my secrets except it was only 15 months jail  ????

No

24 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Life is as hard or as good as one makes it to be. Ok not always but often the sole responsable of many hassles in life, is oneself. Not always, I repeat, but often.

I guess life can go either way though

,just bad luck can play a role where you go ,but I think your right to a certain degree eg you choose which path to take in life 

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Has life been easy or hard 

... yes & no

.did you have a hard manual job ?

... a few involved manual labor, w/bad back to prove it

 Jail? Divorce? Gambling? Recession? 

... Jail ... just overnights

... Divorces 3

... Gambling ... me/no ... wife #3/yes, 

... Recessions ... laid off or industry died 5 times (steel, lithographic printing, 3 airlines/bankrupt)

 

What about those who did shift work?

... worked all shifts, some by choice, some not, a couple (3rd/midnight shift), low pay job, by choice only till I found something better.  Why keeping days open.

 

At times I worked 3 jobs, not by choice, and other times, I ran 3 businesses (self owned), by choice.   

 

1 salaried job I worked 80 hrs a week, mandatory 5 double shifts every week.

 

Other job, could come & go as I please, and usually 2 double shifts w/5 days off a week. Why that one lasted more than 1-3-6-12 months, actually 13 yrs, w/pittance of a pension.  Great airline flight bennies though.

 

Damn roller coaster ride, as sometimes, barely enough money, but at least always enough.   Other times, too much money.  

 

Retired @ 45 ish, so kind of hard to complain.  68 now, 69 at year's end.  

Doubt if anyone can beat that !

That's almost 2 life in one ????

3 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I guess life can go either way though

,just bad luck can play a role where you go ,but I think your right to a certain degree eg you choose which path to take in life 

Something like putting all assets in a foreign wife's name and then giving out when the hammer falls and all assets get wiped out in favour of the brother-in-law or whatever ?

6 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

I spoke to a farang recently in Pattaya  near the Nirun Condo building . . . .

Did he show you his car?  The BMW by the car park ramp?

5 hours ago, Stocky said:

6 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

He said "mate ,I have had a hard life "

12 years in jail !

8 kids to 8 different mothers !

Construction Labor work ,drinking ,smoking !

All self inflicted, I feel sorry for the poor little b*******ds he's fathered.

Potentially self-inflicted, but he didn't explain all the things that led to all these mistakes.  The chance that he had two loving and supportive parents, along with living in a reasonably well-off area, with all his emotional and physical needs met, while not impossible, is unlikely.

6 hours ago, NextG said:

Another made up topic?

And the predictable sullen/doom and gloom presentation from the usual circle.