people is many countries make generalisations and have judgements about people in other countries. my thai friends are in the main professionals, many are educated abroad and some to masters level - in a second language don't forget - they understand perfectly how pensions work and most have pension with through their work place or have a personal pension plan.

When I  spent my long winters on Kata beach Phuket I often heard this story of getting money to live if you don’t work, you are paid to have children, and when you are old you get free money every month.  I did try to explain through a good Thai friend who spoke near perfect English, but even my Thai friend said he’d heard this from tourists even tho he knew it wasn’t true. I suspect a good few of the first tourists/expats/snowbirds actually did a bit of bragging about the life they had back home. I know lots of people thought I was well off as I spent 5 months in the sunshine every winter.

13 hours ago, roo860 said:

, I think the German government pension goes on what you've actually paid in over the years .

 

 

And so does the UK pension.

12 hours ago, BigStar said:

Middle class Thais are quite aware of taxes, tax payments, the Thai SS system, and benefits received upon retirement from that system. Evidently, you're not acquainted with any.

 

Moreover, the elderly, whether they paid tax or not during their lifetimes, do get a monthly cash benefit of about 600 baht. They also can shop for foodstuffs cheap at selected government outlets.

 

And taxpaying Brits often speak of, and tout, their "free" healthcare back in the UK and the "free" schooling for their kids. Nary a mention of all that tax they've paid thru their noses. 

 

So it's all not so simple. You can't generalize about "what Thais think" based on what some bargirls, farmers, or ignorant villagers say. They don't know anything. That merely leads to ignorant stereotyping by the farang taking them seriously. It later shows up on the forum.

 

The lower orders in Western countries similarly have a lot of ignorant beliefs that would be laughable if the believers didn't also go to the polls and elect politicians to try to impose them on everyone else, at great cost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I most certainly am acquainted with plenty of middle and higher earning Thais.

 

I don't do bar-girls by the way. Ive been in a relationship for 27 years.

 

Also, I don't reside in a sex-pat area.

 

Another point, when you are referring to your middle class Thais, are you referring to those with government ' jobs ' that have to buy into their middle class status, or aren't you familiar with that concept?

 

Finally, I speak, read, write Thai and am familiar with the Lao / Isaarn dialect as well after 30 years.

 

So your ' presumptions ' are incorrect.

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

And so does the UK pension.

So does the USA 

16 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No one gives a monkey's about your "Ignore" list announcement that has no effect, whatsoever, on anyone, except you.

thanks for joining

1 hour ago, patman30 said:

17 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No one gives a monkey's about your "Ignore" list announcement that has no effect, whatsoever, on anyone, except you.

thanks for joining

As I said, it's only you who cares.

On 10/31/2023 at 7:52 AM, Scouse123 said:

This story people has come up two or three times in recent weeks, and last night at a Mom and Pop store near my home.

 

It also happened on my recent trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia. They are of similar thinking.

Your English and Cambodian must be excellent!!

5 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Another point, when you are referring to your middle class Thais, are you referring to those with government ' jobs ' that have to buy into their middle class status, or aren't you familiar with that concept?

 

Have you talked to any members of that large number of middle class taxpaying Thais you supposedly know about whether they are aware of taxes, tax payments, the Thai SS system, and benefits received upon retirement from that system--or from whatever alternative system their companies/institutions provide for them?

 

5 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

I most certainly am acquainted with plenty of middle and higher earning Thais.

 

Ah, acquainted. Were any of them present

 

On 10/31/2023 at 7:52 AM, Scouse123 said:

last night at a Mom and Pop store near my home.

 

that leads you to naively generalize about what all Thais think?

48 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Your English and Cambodian must be excellent!!

 

No, my Thai is very reasonable and in Cambodia, they communicated in English.

22 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

The lower orders in Western countries similarly have a lot of ignorant beliefs that would be laughable if the believers didn't also go to the polls and elect politicians to try to impose them on everyone else, at great cost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

<removed>

 

Lower orders in Western countries, are you referring to the backbone of Europe as in the ' working class? 

 

Middle-class Thais? The ones that inherit through family members their position or the ones that spend years paying for it?

 

What's next?

 

Are you going to judge people's responses on the ' caste system", Will we have the ' untouchable ' Thais based on the fact they come from Isaarn and know nothing in your words?

 

Isaarn people built Bangkok!!!

 

Just waiting for you to announce that your Thai partner is number 1 in charge at the Bumrungrad hospital and her brother is a military General.

 

 

On 10/31/2023 at 7:52 AM, Scouse123 said:

I further explained that we are taxed on salaries, businesses, wages, VAT at 20%, etc................they just don't get it!

 

I tried to explain I had paid a huge amount of tax when I sold my UK businesses and moved to Thailand.

 

Which ever way you cut it Scouse---you would be a lot better off then 99.9% of the population that your explaining to,      

 

just how tough life was in the west ..........

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

2 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

Have you talked to any members of that large number of middle class taxpaying Thais you supposedly know about whether they are aware of taxes, tax payments, the Thai SS system, and benefits received upon retirement from that system--or from whatever alternative system their companies/institutions provide for them?

 

 

Ah, acquainted. Were any of them present

 

 

that leads you to naively generalize about what all Thais think?

Expand  

 

 

Clownish and arrogant answers like yours are not worthy of a response.

Yet you responded!

53 minutes ago, oxo1947 said:

 

Which ever way you cut it Scouse---you would be a lot better off then 99.9% of the population that your explaining to,      

 

just how tough life was in the west ..........

 

Well, I did do it myself in business and I did come from a Widowed mother with seven kids, the last one not born when my father was killed in a road traffic accident.

 

I was on free dinners at school, I never badgered my mother for new shoes because I knew the lady was skint, so I put cardboard in them to stop the water from getting in.

 

We did have an outside toilet freezing in winter.

 

I did live through the power cuts and miners' strikes and I did start working washing up in a restaurant part-time at nights and weekends as well as a paper round to support myself and not beg mam for money that she didn't have.

 

I did join the Royal Navy at 16 years old to get off the streets and not end up in jail

 

So to answer your question, it wasn't an easy ride.

 

What I see is a lot of bone idleness here, which exists here now but not when I first came here, and a refusal to attempt to lift themselves up through work, unless they are born into the privileged classes of Bangkok.

 

I see very poor parenting where they think about buying motorbikes that they can't afford and mobile phones and then drowning in debt in the dream that their kids would love them more.

 

We had a day in Blackpool once a year.

I get 1400 usd month extra for my young one in LOS.

11 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yet you responded!

 

Responded in the way deserved

23 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

In the UK we get one of the lowest pensions in the western world and are one of the world's biggest aid donors.

 

In Asia, you are not accustomed to putting money into the country, nor paying tax and VAT or corporation tax, inheritance tax, wealth tax,  etc

 

We only take a bit back for what we have put in, most of you guys in Asia put nothing in.

 

Three members of my family never made 60 years old and paid in from 16 years old.

 

GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT.

 

Your comments are based on ignorance of the West.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really?

 

Perhaps YOU should do some fact checking yourself.

 

Many guys in Asia have paid NI contributions for 44 years or more, as I did.

 

I am 79 but because I chose to live in Thailand my "reward" for paying NI contribution wasnto get my State pension, which is NOT a benefit, frozen at the rate it was first paid at 14 years ago.

 

If I had stayed in the UK I would have had my pension updated every year.

 

I would have been ENTITLED to many extra benefits which would have cost me nothing as I had paid my NI contributions and I would be paying even more income tax in the UK than I do now.

Reported Troll comment and response removed.

58 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Really?

 

Perhaps YOU should do some fact checking yourself.

 

Many guys in Asia have paid NI contributions for 44 years or more, as I did.

 

I am 79 but because I chose to live in Thailand my "reward" for paying NI contribution wasnto get my State pension, which is NOT a benefit, frozen at the rate it was first paid at 14 years ago.

 

If I had stayed in the UK I would have had my pension updated every year.

 

I would have been ENTITLED to many extra benefits which would have cost me nothing as I had paid my NI contributions and I would be paying even more income tax in the UK than I do now.

 

 

You have misread the thread completely, I was referring to many Asians, not Westerners about putting nothing into the system but thinking we just get a pension on reaching retirement age.

 

I am also well aware of the frozen pensions situation in Thailand on which the UK government is refusing to budge.

4 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Middle-class Thais? The ones that inherit through family members their position or the ones that spend years paying for it?

 

Are these the only members of the large Thai middle class of whom you're aware? And with whom you're supposedly acquainted?🤣 Again: were any in attendance at the mom and pop shop the other night who were unaware of taxes, tax payments, the Thai SS system, and benefits received upon retirement from that system--or from whatever alternative system their companies/institutions provide for them?

 

Simple yes/no questions.

 

Irrelevant class warfare blather and smoke blowing <snipped>.

 

Just now, BigStar said:

 

Are these the only members of the large Thai middle class of whom you're aware? And with whom you're supposedly acquainted?🤣 Again: were any in attendance at the mom and pop shop the other night who were unaware of taxes, tax payments, the Thai SS system, and benefits received upon retirement from that system--or from whatever alternative system their companies/institutions provide for them?

 

Simple yes/no questions.

 

Irrelevant class warfare blather and smoke blowing <snipped>.

 

 

You been drinking the kool-aid

Misconceptions.

The ones they've got about you, the ones you've got about them..

yada yada

20 hours ago, lom said:

Misconceptions.

The ones they've got about you, the ones you've got about them..

yada yada

 

When farang have abysmally ignorant misconceptions about Thais, as does the OP about "these people" in general, we have a forum to promulgate them with a superior attitude while reinforcing our bigoted "Thais are stupid and ignorant" stereotype. With the applause of the peanut gallery, they then become codified among the smug Forum Poster Known Truths and echoed down the years.

I think this topic has run its course.

 

It's now getting silly and nasty.

 

I request the moderators to close it.

THey think you area walking ATM, what do you expect?

On 11/1/2023 at 12:07 PM, Scouse123 said:

 

Well, I did do it myself in business and I did come from a Widowed mother with seven kids, the last one not born when my father was killed in a road traffic accident.

 

I was on free dinners at school, I never badgered my mother for new shoes because I knew the lady was skint, so I put cardboard in them to stop the water from getting in.

 

We did have an outside toilet freezing in winter.

 

I did live through the power cuts and miners' strikes and I did start working washing up in a restaurant part-time at nights and weekends as well as a paper round to support myself and not beg mam for money that she didn't have.

 

I did join the Royal Navy at 16 years old to get off the streets and not end up in jail

 

So to answer your question, it wasn't an easy ride.

 

What I see is a lot of bone idleness here, which exists here now but not when I first came here, and a refusal to attempt to lift themselves up through work, unless they are born into the privileged classes of Bangkok.

 

I see very poor parenting where they think about buying motorbikes that they can't afford and mobile phones and then drowning in debt in the dream that their kids would love them more.

 

We had a day in Blackpool once a year.

 

What school did you go to? in l'pool i assume. 

16 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

I think this topic has run its course.

 

It's now getting silly and nasty.

 

I request the moderators to close it.

 

Shouldn't have started it in the first place. Who cares what lowly peasants think of us, they don't set policy.

 

It's the top end of town you need to worry about, especially dudes with dangerous ideas like that kowtowing kop that's in the news all the time.

Some inflammatory posts have been removed. Please see our Community Standards

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

Shouldn't have started it in the first place. Who cares what lowly peasants think of us, they don't set policy.

 

It's the top end of town you need to worry about, especially dudes with dangerous ideas like that kowtowing kop that's in the news all the time.

Think I agree wth all you have said in rhe above post to be honest.

 

Anyway. That's me, that's all and I won't be replying to any further posts.

You lot should have got one of these years a go.

The  Thais know full well,  we have them.

Just pick as much as is required each day.

Jobs a good'un.