[Poll] The Top 10 Types of Expat in Thailand - What type of expat are you?

[Crossy]

12 minutes ago, Dolf said:

Yes why do people get married 3 times? If the first fails give up.

 

Wife number 1 was a typical Essex Girl (Google her), beautiful, blue eyes, blonde hair, big bazookas, no brain.

I loved her to bits (in reality I still do); we had 5 kids together then she swapped me for a newer model.

 

Number 1.5 was Korean, loved her too but she turned me down, twice!!  

 

Wife V2.0 (Thai) is my keeper, love her soooo much, just as much as she loves me my bank balance.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

 

Wife number 1 was a typical Essex Girl (Google her), beautiful, blue eyes, blonde hair, big bazookas, no brain.

I loved her to bits (in reality I still do); we had 5 kids together then she swapped me for a newer model.

 

Number 1.5 was Korean, loved her too but she turned me down, twice!!  

 

Wife V2.0 (Thai) is my keeper, love her soooo much, just as much as she loves me my bank balance.

You got me thinking of my first "Love" now, blimey, well over half a century back......

[Dolf]

2 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Wife number 1 was a typical Essex Girl (Google her), beautiful, blue eyes, blonde hair, big bazookas, no brain.

I loved her to bits (in reality I still do); we had 5 kids together then she swapped me for a newer model.

 

Number 1.5 was Korean, loved her too but she turned me down, twice!!  

 

Wife V2.0 (Thai) is my keeper, love her soooo much, just as much as she loves me my bank balance.

First marriages are normally loved, hope based. Afterwards convenience, money, safety based.

 

But you see western guys marrying western women with less money 3 times. That's like going to a restaurant getting food poisoning then going back 2 more times.

 

But it is what it is.

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

@george can we have a "None of the above - Please clarify in comments" please?

 

Coz, that would be me

Me too

Retired here in Thailand but for non of the mentioned reasons, My wife was was born here , we  lived in the US for over 10 years together, we maintained a house here that we only spend a couple of months at (some times more) and when I retired from work we moved here long term. 

[SAFETY FIRST]

2 hours ago, george said:

Read, and please read the full story, before you vote in our Poll!

 

Being an expat in Thailand you’ll go through plenty of phases – from excitement, to astonishment, to bewilderment, to (eventually) acceptance. It’s all an exciting journey, and will rarely go to plan. But that’s why so many of us love living in Thailand.

 

There are some particular sub-sets of Thai expat we can spot a mile away. Far from type-casting a typical expat, we provide these sub-sets as a guide – there are plenty of other varieties of expats floating around Thailand.

 

We should also mention that in 2020 there’s a much broader range of expats living in Thailand. Contrary to popular wisdom (aka. the internet chat rooms), the numbers of expats are growing every year and they are coming from just about everywhere, not just the UK, northern Europe, Australia and the US, as in the past.

 

1. The search of a wife

Looking for love in the West daunting? Or had a few failed marriages? No problem. Head to Asia and find a wife there instead. Right?!

Gentlemen still come to Thailand for the sole purpose of finding love and maybe a wife. In the age of the internet where you can conveniently do your ‘shopping’ on line, there are is a sub-set of men who will book a flight and hotel to ‘touch and feel’ before they buy. There seems to be some belief that Asian women are going to be more polite, obedient and submissive than the women in their own country. They’re about to get a shock.

Others are looking to ‘trade in’ their older, western model for a younger, slimmer Asian version. And where are you going to find this source of Asian ladies? At an expat bar (or on the internet these days). And so the well-trodden path, litany of perilous adventures, and sad tales begins. We know how most of these relationships end.

 

Of course there are many western men, and women, who do find a Thai partner and live long, happy lives. But they’re vastly out numbered by the stories of love-gone-wrong in the Land of Smiles.

 

1. Don’t take it too seriously
2. Read a couple of hundred stories on the internet before moving in with the Thai GF
3. Have deep pockets

NB. Guys, the bar girls don’t actually love you.

 

2. The businessman

Many professional expats live, mostly in Bangkok, and work for big international companies on salaries that would make them rich in any country. They can afford to, and do, live the high life. Some are single but others bring their family along for the adventure. They rent a big house, have a live-in maid, a driver and live a great life indeed. But, living their life in an artificial bubble in their working years, they rarely transition into a more mundane retired life in ‘normal’ Thailand.

 

3. Retiring in Thailand

The mantra used to be that you could move to Thailand and live off your pension (which would translate to lots and lots of baht), strolling along Phuket beaches, shopping in Bangkok or living a quiet life in Chiang Mai. The perfect retirement lifestyle. 

 

Other single, mostly, men would be lured by a carefree life of cheap beer, endless beaches and a equally endless supply of attractive young ladies in the many bars.

A lot of this has changed in recent years as the Thai economy has gained strength, along with the Thai Baht, and some international currencies have deflated meaning that people hoping to live off their overseas pensions or savings are not getting the same bargain they once did. Especially living in tourist hubs like Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya, the cost of living has been rising in recent years pricing them out of the retirement market for many.

 

If you’re contemplating a retired life in Thailand spend some time on the internet and come and spend a few months in selected locations. Try before you buy and don’t start packing the crockery until you’ve done your homework, and your sums.

 

4. Teaching English

The English teacher is found everywhere in the LOS (Land of Smiles) and is still a reasonably sure-fire way to extend your time living in Thailand.

 

These teachers usually break down into four categories…. Some are career educators and love teaching English, others are backpackers trying to extend their stay and top up their travel pocket-money, there are some older guys who have spent their savings and will do anything to stay in Thailand. Finally, there’s the bored wives who want something useful and meaningful to fill their days whilst their husbands work for larger international companies in Thailand.

 

There are numerous TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses around the country. The pay’s not great and you’ll be living a local lifestyle rather than in the lap of luxury. But many former teachers remember their time teaching English in Thailand fondly and say they’ll never forget the smiling Thai children.

5. The entrepreneurial spirit

Savvy business people often come to Thailand for some better weather and the chance to make their fortune. The joke used to be that if you wanted to start a small business in Thailand, just invest in a big business and wait a few years.

 

But many actually make a go of it and end up doing well. Like starting a business anywhere else in the world, do your homework and make sure you tick all the right boxes, including a business and marketing plan (in a foreign country).

 

The flashy, brash real estate hacks that sell one property a year and spend the other 364 days sitting at the beach bar spending their commission, are a local cliché and a dime a dozen.

 

Remember that the paperwork and administration requirements of a Thai company can be bewildering and you WILL need some good local advice before you open up shop. Take someone who’s already done it for a few years to dinner and ask lots of questions.

6. The bored wife

Many of the categories mentioned so far have been mostly males. Life for a single foreign woman in Thailand can be a challenge. Kudos to those who cut through the cultural issues and make a go of it (and I know many).

 

There’s also the wives and partners of the many, many men who get to work in Thailand and bring their families with them. The live-in maid, driver and shopping trips eventually get boring and they will often be looking for other things to do. In most cases their visas won’t allow them to legally work. So many do end up doing various charity and volunteer work (thought you should be very clear about what your visa will and won’t allow you to do).

 

There are numerous expat groups around the country to provide information, social outings and community for the many mums or spouses who find themselves at a loose end whilst the husband works in the office. Jump on your computer and do some homework and you’ll discover a whole new world of other woman out there.

 

Your next coffee or movie gal-pal is as far away as the internet.

7. The fresh-starter

For whatever reason, Thailand seems to attract its fair share of misfits, vagrants and social outcasts that can’t seem to get their act together in their home country. So they come to Thailand where the cheap booze, beaches and travel brochures have lured them.

 

Of course they find a very different culture and an entirely new list of reasons they can’t fit in and get their life established. Some are just running away from 1) bad marriages 2) the law 3) anything-they-don’t-want-to-confront.

The long term prognosis for many of these misfits isn’t good. We end up reading about them as over-stayers, drink driving road deaths or victims of balcony falls.

8. Sexpats

‘Sexpats’ are notorious and much-maligned. They come to Thailand, lured by a slightly old-fashioned notions of the Kingdom as an easy place to find sex. And sometimes, in some locations the opportunities are still available, for a price. Sexpats usually hang around other expats who are less likely to frown on their indulgences. The three P’s – Patpong, Patong and Pattaya – sum up most of the popular sexpat locations.

 

In most cases they’re here for a good time, not a long time, and will frequent the sleazier locations in Thailand pursuing their goals and, eventually, running out of money or getting bored. Or getting into trouble. Or contracting any number of available STDs.

 

There’s also a subset of the sexpat that will find themselves on the very outer fringes of society – the pedophile. Thailand, and other south east asian countries, have provided solace for these people in the past but recent crackdowns are now detecting a lot of their activities and they are being increasingly rounded up, arrested and deported.

 

As a pedophile you will get zero sympathy from Thai authorities and your time in a Thai prison will be very unpleasant and probably brief.

9. The serial complainer

Nothing, absolutely nothing, will ever be as good in Thailand compared to where they come from. They will find fault in everything from the traffic to the food to the government to the medical system to the culture to the visa system to the corruption to the heat to the roads to the culture to the girls.

Surprise. Thailand is a foreign country with a rich, frequently bewildering culture. The longer you spend here, the less it all makes sense. But that’s part of the glorious adventure of living in Thailand. Whilst many expats revel in the wonders and excesses of Thai life, some just wallow in their own self-righteousness.

 

Many of these haters and complainers have never been to Thailand but are happy to share their wisdom, often, in chat rooms and social media. Blah, blah, blah.

 

Worse, there are plenty of haters living amongst us who bore us sideways with their whinging and complaining. They can be directed to the nearest international airport where they are invited to escape the country they so despise and return to their homeland or just go somewhere else… anywhere really.

10. The digital nomads

We see them tapping away on their keyboards at cafés and work spaces around the country. As long as they have wifi their business is open. They’re trading stocks and shares, selling property, gambling, posting stories, filing news reports, selling stuff on their Facebook pages – they’re working.

If you can run your business outside of a traditional office, hey, why not do it sitting next to a beach or high up in a mountain overlooking Chiang Rai. The digital nomads fall between the cracks in the Thai Immigration system and often have to run the gauntlet of dodgy visas and visa runs although a recently introduced Smart Visa helps as few of them get a proper visa.

 

There is an increasing range of co-working spaces opening around the country and almost every café in Thailand will now have wifi – whether it’s working or not is another matter. Then again you can always tether your phone to your laptop and use your smartphone’s wifi.

10a. The Keyboard Warriors

We can’t leave this group out because there seems to be a large contingent of keyboard warriors out there who keep Thai website administrators busy. They respond to everything that’s posted and are keen to share their expert advice on the matter. On ALL matters. They are a virtual Library of Congress when it comes to dispensing their opinions and vast knowledge about all matters relating to life in Thailand, or anywhere really.

 

Web administrators (The Thaiger included) are kept busy ‘hiding’ and deleting some of their extravagant claims, nonsense or thinly-veiled abuse at the writer of the story, the website generally or other commenters.

 

There is one website in Thailand that does a roaring trade based on the clicks of expats that seem to have nothing better to do than whinge, complain, comment and click, click, click on a broad range of matters, particularly those concerning traffic accidents, ladyboys, visa overstayers and police matters.

 

It’s a love-hate relationship: we hate their monotonous drivel but we love their traffic.

 

By Tim Newton

(formerly thethaiger.com)

 

Note: Please login and vote in our poll above!!

I'm not there, can we add another. 

 

I'm offshore oil worker, drilling rig.

I'm here for 28 days, working abroad (sometimes Songkla) for 28 days. 

 

A good title for us rig pigs would be 'LIVING THE DREAM'! 

 

[Korat Kiwi]

8 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I'm not there, can we add another. 

 

I'm offshore oil worker, drilling rig, I'm here for 28 days, work 28 days. 

 

A good title for me would be 'LIVING THE DREAM'! 

 

Now that indeed would be the life! 

 

Good income and something to waste it on in Thailand.  Win win really. 

[DrJack54]

Page 2 contains bickering trolling posts by usual suspects.

Even for pub forum.

Soon to be closed unless thread develops rather than trolling

[soi3eddie]

How about "some of the above".

• I selected digital nomad as I run my overseas business from Thailand.
• I'm not retired but work only 7 months per year.
• I'm not looking for a wife but have a lovely long term partner here.
• I'm not a businessman in Thailand but do have business elsewhere
• I'm an entrepreneur but have not yet found anything compelling for me to set-up in Thailand 
• I'm not a sexpat, but have been known to enjoy the company of other ladies (less nowadays).

 

 

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

How about "some of the above".

I also could tick most of boxes you mention.

 

Bit aside but we all referr to "retirement visa" or variations.  

Extension based on retirement etc

To be pedantic it should be "extension based on being over 50" 

[FruitPudding]

2 hours ago, xylophone said:

My highly stressful corporate job, starting and running the investment division for a major bank, led me to a burnout and also reflux, which culminated in Barrett's oesophagus (a potential precancerous condition of the oesophagus). My doctor suggested I needed to get out of the rat race, so I did that and moved here, selling everything in NZ, investing some of the funds and also receiving a pension. All of this has ensured that I have a comfortable retired life here in Thailand – – so no complaints. 

 

And as a bonus, I have unofficially adopted the daughter of the Thai woman whom I lived with for five years, and taken care of her living and accommodation needs, and that is very satisfying.

 

This is the weirdest brag ever.

[EVENKEEL]

Extremely wealthy gentleman best describes me.

[Prubangboy]

Wish they had a category for "Actually Likes Thailand".

 

I also wish I could be a sexpat. But the starfish sex factor is really for failed at home thirstmongers to the nth degree.

 

I'll just do myself. At least I'm into me.

[ericthai]

 

4 hours ago, Dolf said:

Yes why do people get married 3 times? If the first fails give up.

Good logic, if you fail at something never try again. 

Sounds like great advise, Maye all the losing football teams should just quit. 

[ABCDBKK]

10 Missing Categories:

 

1. Too lazy to move 
2. Nowhere else to go
3. The least path of resistance 
4. Low hassle factor 
5. Cheap weed
6. Convenient
7. Affordable cost-of-living
8. Addicted to toilet hoses
9. Don't need to own a car
10. Hub of everything

[thesetat]

I am curious why someone is trying to put a label on us to be viewed publicly by any foreigner or Thai. What is the purpose of this survey except to accumulate information on the people who read and comment here. 

I want to tick all but there is no choice for that.. So here is my reply to this survey..

I could be one or all or none

 

1. • The search of a wife
   • The businessman
   • Retiring in Thailand
   • Teaching English
   • The entrepreneurial spirit
   • The bored wife
   • The fresh-starter
   • Sexpats
   • The serial complainer
   • The digital nomads

 

[sikishrory]

Could add offshore to this. 

[spidermike007]

Law abiding, respectful of the locals, grateful to be here, and one that makes an attempt to contribute to society on some levels. 

[spidermike007]

10 hours ago, Prubangboy said:

Wish they had a category for "Actually Likes Thailand".

 

I also wish I could be a sexpat. But the starfish sex factor is really for failed at home thirstmongers to the nth degree.

 

I'll just do myself. At least I'm into me.

I think it was Woody Allen that said that the best thing about masturbation is that at least you know for sure that you're making love to somebody that you are in love with. 

[newbee2022]

I'm not any "TYPE". Sorry.

[Tazmo]

Sports first brought me here long before I retired here. Chiang Mai has the biggest Amateur Cricket Tournament in the World and has been going for about 34 years. Started by Farangs who were in the tree- logging business, Zimbabweans.

Cricket is my passion and also brought hundreds of others, who like myself joined in developing and supporting cricket for Young Thais. My colleagues were going into to schools, introducing soft, then hard ball. Still going on now in Lampoon.

Adults and under 19’s playing for Thailand in International tournaments. 
I myself trained and have been Umpiring sine I retire here.

of course the sunshine was also a major factor. Plus of course I was loving the bars, girls and nightlife. Not so now with aging gracefully, I am ready for bed by 8pm.

But a useful article with factual material.

I  think you also left out The Bar Owners, many Farangs finance them in the name of their Thai wives. They attract many Farangs on Golf and Cricket tournaments, National and International.

[sungod]

44 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I'm not any "TYPE". Sorry.

I think the current term is 'i don't identify'

[Carlotta]

24 minutes ago, sungod said:

I think the current term is 'i don't identify'

Thank you, Mr. "All know better"😂

[ABCDBKK]

10 More Missing Categories:

 

1. No money for plane ticket home
2. Great place to meet foreign fugitives
3. Studying Muay Thai
4. Addicted to street noodles and M-150
5. Abundance of tropical diseases 
6. The Nana/Cowboy/Patpong trifecta 
7. Learning Thai language
8. The Monkhood
9. TM.47 Lover
10. Foot massage freak

 

[sungod]

1 hour ago, Carlotta said:

Thank you, Mr. "All know better"😂

????

Did it go over your head.

[Carlotta]

6 minutes ago, sungod said:

????

Did it go over your head.

go on on with your rudeness. Probably your character?😒

[bkk_mike]

No idea where I fit.

I met my Thai wife in London. She's two years older than me (but still looks ten years younger, even though we've now been married 25 years).

Now I'm actually working in Hong Kong (which is very useful given Thailand's new tax rules as I'll have a Hong Kong pension), and if I ever retire, I'll then be a retiree, but until then???

[Hummin]

Live Thailand, but still working partly abroad. 

[Will B Good]

Bored wife.....male.....really want to be a sexpat....but she won't allow it.

[Freddy42OZ]

22 hours ago, owl sees all said:

What about the farang that buys a load of land and sets about trying to create a fortune from it? Whether that be special rice, hard-wood trees, tobacco, agar wood, rubber trees, or durians. Not forgetting the fish, the fishing, shrimps or the resort.

 

What better way to spend ya hard-earned dosh! Better than giving it to bar girls any day.

 

 

They are businessmen or Entrepreneurs.  

[owl sees all]

7 hours ago, ABCDBKK said:

10 More Missing Categories:

 

1. No money for plane ticket home
2. Great place to meet foreign fugitives
3. Studying Muay Thai
4. Addicted to street noodles and M-150
5. Abundance of tropical diseases 
6. The Nana/Cowboy/Patpong trifecta 
7. Learning Thai language
8. The Monkhood
9. TM.47 Lover
10. Foot massage freak

 

11. Only here to take pics of temples.