Leaving to go to Thailand too young

[mikebike]

According to my kids (30-ish yrs old), opportunity and security in the labour force in the West are not as "timeless" as some older folks may believe... 

Edited October 11, 2023 by mikebike

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, mikebike said:

According to my kids (30-ish yrs old), opportunity and security in the labour force in the West are not as "timeless" as some older folks may believe... 

Not much different from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000 onward.

1st job (1973/4)... Lithographic printing ... left before they went belly up

2nd (1974/5)... steel lathe operator ... same, left & belly up

2nd airlines (1979/80)... regional (Altair), left before belly up to CO

3rd airlines (1980/81) ... CO, bankrupt, salary & position froze or cut, my job eliminated

 

Enough already ... went self employed

4th airlines (1988/2001) ... bankrupt and DL took over.  10+ yrs after I left, and employees were just getting back to the salary I was making in 2001.

 

Along with a few other jobs that didn't work out, and they also went out of business, though far from any type of career jobs, just 'hold me over till better comes along' jobs.

Edited October 11, 2023 by KhunLA

[bignok]

A massage a day

[Gecko123]

I don’t think much was said on this thread that wouldn’t have been said during the vetting process when the decision to move to Thailand was first announced to family and friends back home. If there wasn’t some of this, I’d have to wonder whether family and friends had concern about my welfare. I don’t think anybody said Native Farang wouldn’t be able to make a living in Thailand or predicted he was going to fall flat on his face. Most of the concerns voiced on the thread had to do with concerns down the road. 

 

I can fully appreciate a Thai guy’s desire to get back to the mother country, and escape the racial and social prejudice and discrimination he probably experienced in England. I’m sure he’s in hog heaven back in Thailand, and understandably so. The wife too is probably on cloud nine being able to raise the kids in an idyllic country setting.

 

But if the concerns raised on the thread about challenges they may face in the future (schooling, health care, employment and future earning potential, ability to save a retirement nest egg, etc.) came as a jarring wake up call to the young couple I don’t know if this reflects well on the amount of planning which went into the move. 

 

If none of these issues were raised by family and friends, I can only speculate that either: (a) nobody was fully aware of these “on the ground” realities, (i.e., government schools, government hospitals, rural employment opportunities, etc.), or (b) felt obligated to defer to the Thai husband’s “expertise” about what the couple’s future life in Thailand would be like, or (c) the family and friends had such supreme confidence in the couple’s maturity and decision making skills, and were by nature such loving, supportive, positive and optimistic individuals in touch with the rhythms of the universe that it  never even occurred to them to question the wisdom of the decision. Godspeed and a heartfelt hug was all that was needed, eh? With my tongue firmly in my cheek, I suspect this last explanation will eagerly be embraced by certain people reading this thread. 

 

Please consider that there’s a big difference between the relationship dynamic of a U-tube travel channel and its followers, and the reaction you should expect from a public forum such as this. Many U-tube viewers who are heavily engaged with the channel are essentially living vicariously through the channel’s content. They want to engage, feel a sense of being part of the experience and do so by showering the channel with positive comments in the hopes of getting a “like”, a reply, or a heart emoji from the content provider. Many of them have never set foot in Thailand and probably never will, and few have the “on the ground” experience to evaluate what’s going on.

 

That’s a big part of the reason why the ASEANNOW reaction was in such a sharp contrast to what Native Farang and his wife experience on their U-tube channel. The ASEANNOW audience has “on the ground” real time experience and a basis of comparison and evaluation that most of your U-tube audience lacks. If you’re truly interested in making your new life here sustainable, my advice to Native Farang would be to make good use of whatever resources that are available, not just bask in the positive feedback you enjoy on your channel.

 

Finally, I wanted to point out that contrary to Native Farang’s assertion earlier on this thread that foreigners don’t know jack about farming and gardening in Thailand, innumerable foreigners have access to land, and have considerable experience in farming and gardening activities. Also, many have farming and gardening experience acquired from back home. Here are some links which you might find useful:

 

ASEANNOW Farming in Thailand forum link:

https://aseannow.com/forum/104-farming-in-thailand-forum/

 

Dairy of a Farang in Thailand thread link:

https://aseannow.com/topic/1134505-diary-of-a-farang-in-isaan/page/10/

 

Photos of kitchen gardens thread link:

https://aseannow.com/topic/828373-photos-of-kitchen-gardens/

 

Again, I wish you luck in your endeavors, and fully expect to hear you have become the CEO of Betagro or Saha Farms in the not too distant future.

 

Edited October 12, 2023 by Gecko123

[Serendipity123]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

I don’t think much was said on this thread that wouldn’t have been said during the vetting process when the decision to move to Thailand was first announced to family and friends back home. If there wasn’t some of this, I’d have to wonder whether family and friends had concern about my welfare. I don’t think anybody said Native Farang wouldn’t be able to make a living in Thailand or predicted he was going to fall flat on his face. Most of the concerns voiced on the thread had to do with concerns down the road. 

 

I can fully appreciate a Thai guy’s desire to get back to the mother country, and escape the racial and social prejudice and discrimination he probably experienced in England. I’m sure he’s in hog heaven back in Thailand, and understandably so. The wife too is probably on cloud nine being able to raise the kids in an idyllic country setting.

 

But if the concerns raised on the thread about challenges they may face in the future (schooling, health care, employment and future earning potential, ability to save a retirement nest egg, etc.) came as a jarring wake up call to the young couple I don’t know if this reflects well on the amount of planning which went into the move. 

 

If none of these issues were raised by family and friends, I can only speculate that either: (a) nobody was fully aware of these “on the ground” realities, (i.e., government schools, government hospitals, rural employment opportunities, etc.), or (b) felt obligated to defer to the Thai husband’s “expertise” about what the couple’s future life in Thailand would be like, or (c) the family and friends had such supreme confidence in the couple’s maturity and decision making skills, and were by nature such loving, supportive, positive and optimistic individuals in touch with the rhythms of the universe that it  never even occurred to them to question the wisdom of the decision. Godspeed and a heartfelt hug was all that was needed, eh? With my tongue firmly in my cheek, I suspect this last explanation will eagerly be embraced by certain people reading this thread. 

 

Please consider that there’s a big difference between the relationship dynamic of a U-tube travel channel and its followers, and the reaction you should expect from a public forum such as this. Many U-tube viewers who are heavily engaged with the channel are essentially living vicariously through the channel’s content. They want to engage, feel a sense of being part of the experience and do so by showering the channel with positive comments in the hopes of getting a “like”, a reply, or a heart emoji from the content provider. Many of them have never set foot in Thailand and probably never will, and few have the “on the ground” experience to evaluate what’s going on.

 

That’s a big part of the reason why the ASEANNOW reaction was in such a sharp contrast to what Native Farang and his wife experience on their U-tube channel. The ASEANNOW audience has “on the ground” real time experience and a basis of comparison and evaluation that most of your U-tube audience lacks. If you’re truly interested in making your new life here sustainable, my advice to Native Farang would be to make good use of whatever resources that are available, not just bask in the positive feedback you enjoy on your channel.

 

Finally, I wanted to point out that contrary to Native Farang’s assertion earlier on this thread that foreigners don’t know jack about farming and gardening in Thailand, innumerable foreigners have access to land, and have considerable experience in farming and gardening activities. Also, many have farming and gardening experience acquired from back home. Here are some links which you might find useful:

 

ASEANNOW Farming in Thailand forum link:

https://aseannow.com/forum/104-farming-in-thailand-forum/

 

Dairy of a Farang in Thailand thread link:

https://aseannow.com/topic/1134505-diary-of-a-farang-in-isaan/page/10/

 

Photos of kitchen gardens thread link:

https://aseannow.com/topic/828373-photos-of-kitchen-gardens/

 

Again, I wish you luck in your endeavors, and fully expect to hear you have become the CEO of Betagro or Saha Farms in the not too distant future.

 

You have far too much time on your hands, this thread was started 3 days ago and yet here you still are. Checking back continously to see if others agree with you and put your two cents in. Sure, there will be many who agree with you, but it all stems down to the point, what on Earth has it got to do with you? How this young couple chooses to live their life is of no concern of yours, they're not affecting your life in any way, infact, they probably didn't even know you existed until they saw this thread.

 

My parents are in their mid fifties and I'd be both mortified and embarrassed if I found them criticising a young couple they came across on YouTube because their views on how they should be spending their lives differ from theirs.

 

I would also like to add, our time on this planet isn't infinite, tomorrow isn't guaranteed for any of us. I sure as hell wouldn't want my last day on Earth to be spent criticising others or offering "advice" that ultimately won't change anything. You live your life, focus on that and above all, try to be happy. This couple seem to be doing just fine and will make mistakes along the way just like the rest of us. Live and learn, that's what it's all about. 

[Gecko123]

16 minutes ago, Serendipity123 said:

You have far too much time on your hands, this thread was started 3 days ago and yet here you still are. Checking back continously to see if others agree with you and put your two cents in. Sure, there will be many who agree with you, but it all stems down to the point, what on Earth has it got to do with you? How this young couple chooses to live their life is of no concern of yours, they're not affecting your life in any way, infact, they probably didn't even know you existed until they saw this thread.

 

My parents are in their mid fifties and I'd be both mortified and embarrassed if I found them criticising a young couple they came across on YouTube because their views on how they should be spending their lives differ from theirs.

 

I would also like to add, our time on this planet isn't infinite, tomorrow isn't guaranteed for any of us. I sure as hell wouldn't want my last day on Earth to be spent criticising others or offering "advice" that ultimately won't change anything. You live your life, focus on that and above all, try to be happy. This couple seem to be doing just fine and will make mistakes along the way just like the rest of us. Live and learn, that's what it's all about. 

This is a discussion forum. The thread topic is the advisability of moving abroad at a young age. The Native Farang U-tube channel was only referenced for illustration purposes. Nobody's intruding on the Native Farang channel. I think you're the one who should run along.

 

Frankly, I could care less about the individuals involved. But many people do follow U-tube influencers and make major life decisions based on what they see. If people are gonna get upset because someone's trying to provide a more balanced picture of what someone might be getting into to, well, that's their problem not mine. If we're sharing first impressions here,  I find you're bristling at my sharing my observations to be fairly immature, not particularly intelligent, and rather twerpish.

 

[Serendipity123]

2 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Dairy of a Farang in Thailand thread link:

"Not particularly intelligent" says the person who can't spell diary, and numerous other words. The only reason you're using the word immature is because I am a lot younger than you, fair enough, and using the word twerpish just emphases that age gap even more. This is boring now, I have more important things to do. Take care. 

[GarryP]

On 10/10/2023 at 2:24 PM, Native Farang said:

I think you need a reality check.. what 20-30 year old is going to have their finances in check for the rest of their life? We have 50+ years left there's no way anyone is going to have that kind of money stashed away. 

It might be ok for the older guys that retire in Thailand, most are 60+ with only a few years to plan ahead for. 

 

To say we 'failed' at preparation ???? when you were 20 I'm sure you didn't have that kind of money set aside. Remember we were all young once and you probably have 30+ years on us, we'll catch up and by your age would have everything figured out too.. 

I came to Thailand when I was 19. I knew nothing about the country. I had next to no money. But I still managed to make a life for myself. You have more advantages than I did so I don't think you need to worry too much. Life is a journey to be enjoyed, but reading some of the comments on here, it would seem some of the posters get their enjoyment from being curmudgeons and hate seeing other people have a better life than them.  

[Gecko123]

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

I came to Thailand when I was 19. I knew nothing about the country. I had next to no money. But I still managed to make a life for myself. You have more advantages than I did so I don't think you need to worry too much. Life is a journey to be enjoyed, but reading some of the comments on here, it would seem some of the posters get their enjoyment from being curmudgeons and hate seeing other people have a better life than them.  

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I would just like to say that many people misinterpret the risk management process of identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, treating and monitoring risk as being "negative", "pessimistic" or as you put it, being a "curmudgeon," when in truth it is nothing of the sort. The identification of potential risk can be viewed as a joyful and positive process, as once the risk has been identified that becomes the first step towards better managing it. It has been my experience that it is most often people who have never been exposed to risk management tools who are most apt to misinterpret the thought process.

Edited October 12, 2023 by Gecko123

[mikebike]

On 10/12/2023 at 5:47 PM, Gecko123 said:

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I would just like to say that many people misinterpret the risk management process of identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, treating and monitoring risk as being "negative", "pessimistic" or as you put it, being a "curmudgeon," when in truth it is nothing of the sort. The identification of potential risk can be viewed as a joyful and positive process, as once the risk has been identified that becomes the first step towards better managing it. It has been my experience that it is most often people who have never been exposed to risk management tools who are most apt to misinterpret the thought process.

OMG... like a freaking broken record. 

 

Do you not realize that there are those, especially on the youthful side of life, who embrace risk, who crave a challenge, look forward to, and thrive on conquering new frontiers. This is a life embraced and romanticized in historical frontier and colonial literature and movies. Yet you can only apply accountant-like analysis when you look at life. Quite sad. ????

[oxo1947]

On 10/9/2023 at 8:25 AM, georgegeorgia said:

Rundown farm hoping to make money and a life ,the white wife looks bored 

 

Now I'm thinking if that was my son or daughter at that age I would happy he / they are wasting their life ?

 

Absolutely ridiculous at that age to move there , obviously they won't last there

 

No your right mate---they should both be stuck in a factory back home making screws or washers--something productive.

Then they will be able to look around for a 35 year mortgage to give them a nice safe life,

 

retire and take up writing non sensible rubbish to internet sites .......... not that I am comparing them to anyone or anything..............

 

 

 

 

[PetNitNoi]

Left the farm life for Bangkok 

https://youtu.be/5crdVRhO-NA?si=M0zADAea1CfshyaW

[nausea]

For me, it was a good decision to come late. Women on tap, status on tap, I'd have been totally ruined if I'd come earlier. Probably depends on your personality. I'm very lazy, I had to be forced to work hard, develop a career, all that stuff, and I still needed a little bit of serendipity. There's a reason visas to the West were so sought after, the opportunities were just so much greater. Times change, though, it has to be said. Haven't been home (UK) in a long time. Like someone said, as a member of the boomer generation I just had to be alive to make money. I understand things are very different now - The times they are a-changin'.

 

[GammaGlobulin]

It's never too young to be in Thailand.

 

I wasted most of my life in Taiwan.

 

Wish I had come to Thailand when I was MUCH younger....

 

For sure!