When was the last time that you spoke with a foreigner?

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

6 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

touché 👍

Nailed it. 

 

I've been living in the same house over 20 years, back in the day it was RARE to find a nutter, these days most foreigners are aggressive, hostile fruitcakes. 

 

I've got a few very good close foreigner friends, I don't need or want any more. 

 

The trick is, if you find a normal one hang on to him. 

 

This got 4 negative reponses, says alot about the forum, and who they are

It's growing, up to 8 now. 

I bet it won't beat my all time AN record... 50 😂

 

[Hummin]

6 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

You can always go home.

I have gone back home, just here for holidays now. 

[fredwiggy]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you think I came to that conclusion based on one post you must be deluded, get out more

Another one that thinks they know people on a forum and how much they get out. Tell us how you think he's an isolated person, seeing you've never met him.

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

I have gone back home, just here for holidays now. 

I was answering you when you said," You need to be a nutter in the first place moving to Thailand, especially if it leaves you with no possibility of return back to your orign country."   Meaning anyone can leave and go back home if they don't fit here.

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Most Germans are.

So, now I am German once again. How?

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

My condo is a useful place to store items.  Most of the time, I am 500 metres from this deserted beach in south Thailand.  I rent a detached house for 7k baht/month 🙂

 

Ok, here we go 🙂 I almost got sad hearing the other story. 

However, there it looks like an opportunity to find nice people. Can be foreigners or Thai. Never mind. 🙂 Beautiful!

[SAFETY FIRST]

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Also my experience working freelance offshore.

I like freelance workers 👍

 

I'm always making new freelance friends on Soi Buakhou. 😊

 

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, cdemundo said:

"Oh dear! Where to begin????"

 

How about not at all?

MYOB.

You make my point about expats to avoid, jeez talk about triggered.

What triggered? I am not triggered at all. Just sitting here relaxing writing at job breaks.

[Thingamabob]

About 5 years ago.

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I was answering you when you said," You need to be a nutter in the first place moving to Thailand, especially if it leaves you with no possibility of return back to your orign country."   Meaning anyone can leave and go back home if they don't fit here.

Are you sure everyone can? After they burned all bridges back home, and invested everything here, left with montly pension only to live from? 

 

If something happens, and they are cut off from their pension, what then? Thai bath doubles? They change requirements for visa? Their wife who they invested everything in, leaves them? 

[quake]

Looks like a few posters are on rag week,  here.

[Loyl]

I may be out of touch but the only time I have spoken to a falang is when I go on holiday after 7 years I don't care if I ever do 

[Hummin]

4 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I like freelance workers 👍

 

I'm always making new freelance friends on Soi Buakhou. 😊

 

Touche 🤣

 

Life as freelancer is the best 🤓

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

Are you sure everyone can? After they burned all bridges back home, and invested everything here, left with montly pension only to live from? 

 

If something happens, and they are cut off from their pension, what then? Thai bath doubles? They change requirements for visa? Their wife who they invested everything in, leaves them? 

If they have no more pension, they're in a little trouble. If they still get it, they can go home and get by living frugally, maybe in a lower cost place than they're accustomed to before. You can always rent here in the country and eat Somtam and Pad Krapow forever.

[Hummin]

4 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

If they have no more pension, they're in a little trouble. If they still get it, they can go home and get by living frugally, maybe in a lower cost place than they're accustomed to before. You can always rent here in the country and eat Somtam and Pad Krapow forever.

I dont think you know how many here only lives on their monthly transfer and no other safety net.

 

If I had sold everything I had, and wanted to go back now after 8 years, it would had been almost impossible to have a decent life there, if I had no savings or property, even I still have a decent paid job. It would be a set back until my wife had full time work. The living costs is to high now for average pensioners to resettle with dept and have to buy basics stuff, not to mention clothes for all seasons

[fredwiggy]

What I don't understand, all of the years I've lived here, looking through this forum, is why so many foreigners avoid other foreigners. 

 

We're the minority here, and besides those who are prejudiced against other nationalities for any number of reasons, I would think, being part of that minority, we can relate to each other, seeing most Thais don't understand our previous lifestyles and other foreigners do. 

 

Food, sports, hobbies, music, movies and other pastimes other westerners enjoy can be shared, talked about, argued about, and Thais won't get it anyway, so it's something we can have while living here. 

 

I've walked in stores, and seen foreigners look away, not wanting eye contact, yet others will smile, wave and say hi. I understand some don't speak English and might be shy, but a nod or smile is all you need to share that camaraderie. I'm sure some are fugitives, not wanting to start a conversation because they might be "found out", but that's but a fraction of the foreigners living here. You might pass by someone who could be your next best friend, and who shares likes or hobbies and never know.

[fredwiggy]

5 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I dont think you know how many here only lives on their monthly transfer and no other safety net.

 

If I had sold everything I had, and wanted to go back now after 8 years, it would had been almost impossible to have a decent life there, if I had no savings or property, even I still have a decent paid job. It would be a set back until my wife had full time work. The living costs is to high now for average pensioners to resettle with dept and have to buy basics stuff, not to mention clothes for all seasons

When I go back, it won't be a walk in the park, but almost the same as it was before , as I can find many rent to owns there, and the schools are much better for my daughter, so that's a major reason, besides being able to do what I like more. Moving is the hard part.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

What I don't understand, all of the years I've lived here, looking through this forum, is why so many foreigners avoid other foreigners. 

Because im not a racist and don't assume i have anything in common with someone else just because our skin colour happens to be the same.

[wwest5829]

A few days ago while traveling to Nakhon Phanom. MB accident, one of those who came to help direct traffic. I greeted him in Thai and he replied that he did not speak Thai. Seems he married a Thai but was from the Phippines.

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Because im not a racist and don't assume i have anything in common with someone else just because our skin colour happens to be the same.

The same way you made friends back in the UK is the same way you can make friends here, once you get past the introductions and make sure you both speaks the same language.

[HappyExpat57]

11 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I dont think you know how many here only lives on their monthly transfer and no other safety net.

 

If I had sold everything I had, and wanted to go back now after 8 years, it would had been almost impossible to have a decent life there, if I had no savings or property, even I still have a decent paid job. It would be a set back until my wife had full time work. The living costs is to high now for average pensioners to resettle with dept and have to buy basics stuff, not to mention clothes for all seasons

I had a house I was renting out in Washington State, owned it outright. I have a decent civil service pension, but when I considered moving back, looked at the costs of STILL having to pay property taxes and maintenance, then add to that it's Washington State (ick!), I'd have a slightly better than meager existence there.

 

I sold that thing as soon as I saw where the US economy was heading for the next four years, and will now live in Thailand as a millionaire (and that's when being a millionaire meant something).

[KhunLA]

12 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

What I don't understand, all of the years I've lived here, looking through this forum, is why so many foreigners avoid other foreigners. 

 

We're the minority here, and besides those who are prejudiced against other nationalities for any number of reasons, I would think, being part of that minority, we can relate to each other, seeing most Thais don't understand our previous lifestyles and other foreigners do. 

 

Food, sports, hobbies, music, movies and other pastimes other westerners enjoy can be shared, talked about, argued about, and Thais won't get it anyway, so it's something we can have while living here. 

 

I've walked in stores, and seen foreigners look away, not wanting eye contact, yet others will smile, wave and say hi. I understand some don't speak English and might be shy, but a nod or smile is all you need to share that camaraderie. I'm sure some are fugitives, not wanting to start a conversation because they might be "found out", but that's but a fraction of the foreigners living here. You might pass by someone who could be your next best friend, and who shares likes or hobbies and never know.

I've always been a bit anti social, guarded with letting people in.  Has paid off nicely, stress free.

 

When living in Udon Thani, met a lot of folks through local forum, and a few good friendships.   But the rest, and quite a few, quite glad I'll never see them again.

 

That changed, or reinforced my 'avoid farang' attitude.  What surprised my the most, and obvious on AN, is the nationalism, or prejudice of other nationalities, depending how one views it.    Maybe coming from the melting pot of USA, or growing up on the other side of the tracks, I didn' become a bigot of all things, race, sex & religion.   On the receiving end, too many times, to even thing about become such an A$$hole.

 

That and so many scammers in the world, or folks that will make a pass at your partner.  NO THANKS, not looking for or needing any new friends.  Dog, daughter & wife are more than enough.

[SMIAI]

If honestly, reading the posts here, I would happily avoid these foreigners. They might be able to mask it superficially on the outside, but this is what they are like really.

Blind to their own faults, self praising and self satisfied. Appalling.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

What I don't understand, all of the years I've lived here, looking through this forum, is why so many foreigners avoid other foreigners. 

 

We're the minority here, and besides those who are prejudiced against other nationalities for any number of reasons, I would think, being part of that minority, we can relate to each other, seeing most Thais don't understand our previous lifestyles and other foreigners do. 

 

Food, sports, hobbies, music, movies and other pastimes other westerners enjoy can be shared, talked about, argued about, and Thais won't get it anyway, so it's something we can have while living here. 

 

I've walked in stores, and seen foreigners look away, not wanting eye contact, yet others will smile, wave and say hi. I understand some don't speak English and might be shy, but a nod or smile is all you need to share that camaraderie. I'm sure some are fugitives, not wanting to start a conversation because they might be "found out", but that's but a fraction of the foreigners living here. You might pass by someone who could be your next best friend, and who shares likes or hobbies and never know.

I see those of the foreigners who are most social, are social through activities such as motorbike riding/tours, golf, pool/dart/cards, watching football in their favorite bar and of course through alcohol and later weed.

 

When living in Hua Hin, I met people through the interest of motorbike, and also going to the same gym frequently at the same times 4-6 times a week, but if you are not much in to socializing around alchohol m, there is not much options really anywhere in the world if you do not have any spefic interests.

 

One olace to socialize if you are a social decent human, is to live in specific MoBaans where you often finds people mostly settled from one country more than others, and also specific restaurants with one nationalities visiting. 

 

The older we get, the more we have certain preferences, and we know what or who we want to share time to with.

 

Tired of solving world problems, talking about emigration, drink to much, sit with smokers when you do not smake yourself, and dopeheads is useally somewhere else in the conversation than you are if you do not smoke weed yourself. 

 

So without any special common interests, you end up talking about the weather, or the same same you talked about yesterday.

 

Being in a small village in Isaan, the last thing you want, is the be stuck with people you have no common interest with, who just shows up when they think it is time for it. 

 

My wife is not that social either with girls with foreigners, so we both are on the same there. We do hook up when there is birthdays and pay respect during funerals or any other special day where it is natural to socialize. 

[fredwiggy]

Just now, KhunLA said:

I've always been a bit anti social, guarded with letting people in.  Have paid of nicely.

 

When living in Udon Thani, met a lot of folks through local forum, and a few good friendships.   But the rest, and quite a few, quite glad I'll never see them again.

 

That changed, or reinforced my 'avoid farang' attitude.  What surprised my the most, and obvious on AN, is the nationalism, or prejudice of other nationalities, depending how one views it.    Maybe coming from the melting pot of USA, or growing up on the other side of the tracks, I didn' become a bigot of all things, race, sex & religion.   On the receiving end, too many times, to even thing about become such an A$$hole.

 

That and so many scammers in the world, or folks that will make a pass at your partner.  NO THANKS, not looking for or needing any friends.  Dog, daughter & wife is more than enough.

That's one thing being an American does. Getting along with everyone, unless you've been taught prejudice by parents. You never know who is out there to hurt or to be your best friend, so you keep them at arm's length until you're sure. 

 

Some friends are good as drinking buddies, shooting the sheet for awhile. Some like the same music, movies or sports, so you can spend time that way. 

 

Most of my friends back home are fishermen and or hunters, so we've always had that. And some were (are) gym friends, people I met at the gyms and found we shared other things. 

 

A friend won't make a pass at your partner but would do whatever it takes to help protect her. I know some men are sleaze, that will do anything to get after anyone's partner because loyalty is something they've never understood. Most people go through life and only have about 6 friends they can call close, with many other acquaintances that are part time friends. A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet, always makes sense, but you do have to be aware.

[Hummin]

15 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

When I go back, it won't be a walk in the park, but almost the same as it was before , as I can find many rent to owns there, and the schools are much better for my daughter, so that's a major reason, besides being able to do what I like more. Moving is the hard part.

The rent back home is the same as their average pension now, if not willing to live more in rural districts. Deposit is 3 months up front pluss first month rent. Electricity is skyrocketing, gasolin, insurance. 

 

I would say, you are ine in few who could manage. Im just happy I did not cut all my bridges and left my country completely.

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you think I came to that conclusion

But, have you reached a conclusion?????

[fredwiggy]

Just now, Hummin said:

The rent back home is the same as their average pension now, if not willing to live more in rural districts. Deposit is 3 months up front pluss first month rent. Electricity is skyrocketing, gasolin, insurance. 

 

I would say, you are ine in few who could manage. Im just happy I did not cut all my bridges and left my country completely.

Some of us put their trust in woman here and were burned, so we have to start all over again, in our 60's. If I could be home tomorrow I would, but it'll take some time. One last move.

[Hummin]

11 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I had a house I was renting out in Washington State, owned it outright. I have a decent civil service pension, but when I considered moving back, looked at the costs of STILL having to pay property taxes and maintenance, then add to that it's Washington State (ick!), I'd have a slightly better than meager existence there.

 

I sold that thing as soon as I saw where the US economy was heading for the next four years, and will now live in Thailand as a millionaire (and that's when being a millionaire meant something).

Comming from Usa and Europe/Scandinavia is two different things, and I can understand your view of it. As long you have founds and decent income/pension, it is a great life here for most. I just feel I have better options back home not being completely retired yet.

[brewsterbudgen]

I work with westerners so talk with them every day.