On 1/26/2026 at 6:07 PM, Harry Tuchas said:

I came to Thailand chasing the markets, the temples, the beaches, the elephants, and the food. Who doesn't, right? I stayed for the air pollution, the danger on the roads, the floods, the poisonous pesticides, and the endless thrilling topics on AN.

Sounds like you have had a good time up to now!

On 1/26/2026 at 3:18 PM, Harrisfan said:

Don't go chasing the dream. So many do and fall over.

Chase

1 peace

2 nice people

3 activities

I'm pleased to see that your character rehabilitation appears to be working.

Have another good day.

OP, I have to ask you, Callyourself Harris fan. Is that because you believe in the great and smart KAMALA? If so it explains a lot.

On 1/26/2026 at 3:18 PM, Harrisfan said:

Don't go chasing the dream. So many do and fall over.

Chase

1 peace

3 activities

So your "peaceful" comments are exemplary🤣🤣🤣

1 hour ago, kingstonkid said:

OP, I have to ask you, Callyourself Harris fan. Is that because you believe in the great and smart KAMALA? If so it explains a lot.

Harris is Brit slang for female nether regions.

As my cockney pals used to shout 'look at the 'arris on that!

"Aris (Harris) - Aristotle = Bottle. Bottle and Glass = Arse"

1 hour ago, kingstonkid said:

OP, I have to ask you, Callyourself Harris fan. Is that because you believe in the great and smart KAMALA? If so it explains a lot.

I see you are really smart lol

20 hours ago, happydreamer said:

Visited first time in Jan 2012. Knew I'd retire here. Kept talking about wanting to retire by 40. It happened in 2015. Got laid off. Never went back. I loved this place and started the migration over the span of 3 years going back and forth.

The Thai dream is different for everyone. For me it was about being able to tune out the noise of big city US life. It was about having things I didn't have back home. It was a cost efficient place to plant myself in the beginning until I figured out what to do. My first place in Chiang Mai cost 5k per month. It was simple, stark, lacking in many ways but it all woke me up to what the actual necessities of my new life would be.

As time went on the dream became more detailed. Some of it changed, some evolved, some was simply rubbish that was residue from US life.

Honestly, life on my worst day here has not been anywhere near the dark, cold, misery I endured in my last few years at home.

Thanks for sharing. Yes most garages are full of junk.

The Thai dream for foreigners does actually exist, and is doable plus also finding longevity, but there are certain caveats, and expectations need to be realistic and managed properly, along with the many pitfalls identified and avoided. Far too many paradise seekers arrive with a lofty vision of retirement and life in the sun based on their holidaying experience and researching some youtube videos, only to completely mess it up through not having their wits about them and acting like they are in their home country and falling into the school-boy error traps. Don't get me wrong, it can be done and many do, but also more totally mess it up badly and end up back on a plane with nothing after a few or more years.

1. The most important thing to plan and square away is what your visa status will be for the long term.

2. You need a purpose, hoobies/interests, or online work, as lounging around as if you are holiday evenually will get old and doing this in the holiday places gets expensive. Living here full time and coming for a month or two holiday are very different things.

3. Learning the language is a good idea, but plenty get along without learning too much.

4. Do not show off your wealth or tell anyone anything about money as it make you a target... appear average and get left alone by all. Scammers and dishonest types are everywhere.

5. Set achievable goals, not lofty fantasies. Decide what living the dream really means to you, or what is acceptable. Many people these days have such unrealistic expectations on so many topics that they always end up disappointed and unfulfilled.

6. Don't burn your bridges with your home country, keep an official address and bank account and have some investments, if possible, back home as an escape plan if it goes south... cover different eventualities, especially when newly arrived. Okay, once you are more established, then you can call the shots as you see fit... but caution is still advisable as the ground can move here quickly, as many have seen. Don't put all your financial eggs in one basket or just bring it all over here... bad idea.

7. Women. It is inevitable that you will bump into some girl that ticks all your boxes (even if you aren't looking for one), she will be sweet and nice, speak English and be free and younger than you... but this is where so much can go wrong and many guys screw it up over this one. The woman you decide to spend your time with over the long term, or get married to etc., is probably one of the most important decisions you make here. Give your spidey sense a complete MoT and install an upgrade to the caution/suspicion software you have.

8. Choose somewhere sensible to live. If you like the touristy places, then good to rent just outside where all the action is, not in the middle of it... then you can take it or leave it when you like, as being constanly in the craziness will send you nuts eventually.

9. Make friends slowly as there are many around who are not as they seem, both Foreigners and Thais.

10. Try not to become a raging alcoholic as no good will come of it.

11. Make yourself as legit as possible so that things are less likely to come crashing down at a moment's notice... don't drive without a licence, act in any way or work that's illegal, overstay a visa or do anything that attracts attention to yourself. Stay under the radar.

12. Make sure you are properly squared away with property laws, including those on condos and the problems with buying and selling them... plenty of silliness can be encountered on this one, and locations can morph as time goes by, plus slipshod construction, and all sorts of stuff.

13. Take the attitude that pretty much anything you spend here you should be able to afford to lose, as it's perfectly possible that you might. Yes, if you end up in a very stable marriage and buy a bungalow on an estate for you and the wife, then fine, but YOU still don't own it... building a temple to your vanity in the village on her land is of questionable rationale, unless of course you can just walk away from it.

14. Plan for different eventualities, nothing here stays the same and you should protect your situation and future over all else... critically think about your situation, as you are on your lonesome.

There are obviously more points, and feel free to add, but that lists gives potential long stayers some food for thought. Regards all.

Sorry, forgot something....

15. Get used to being lied to by almost everyone as it's something that you will never really square away. Even the Malaysians have a saying "Don't Thai to me".

On 1/26/2026 at 4:58 PM, save the frogs said:

how do you chase peace?

Peace of ass perhaps !

12 minutes ago, Keeenok Powell said:

Peace of ass perhaps !

Well said.

20 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

The Thai dream for foreigners does actually exist, and is doable plus also finding longevity, but there are certain caveats, and expectations need to be realistic and managed properly, along with the many pitfalls identified and avoided. Far too many paradise seekers arrive with a lofty vision of retirement and life in the sun based on their holidaying experience and researching some youtube videos, only to completely mess it up through not having their wits about them and acting like they are in their home country and falling into the school-boy error traps. Don't get me wrong, it can be done and many do, but also more totally mess it up badly and end up back on a plane with nothing after a few or more years.

1. The most important thing to plan and square away is what your visa status will be for the long term.

2. You need a purpose, hoobies/interests, or online work, as lounging around as if you are holiday evenually will get old and doing this in the holiday places gets expensive. Living here full time and coming for a month or two holiday are very different things.

3. Learning the language is a good idea, but plenty get along without learning too much.

4. Do not show off your wealth or tell anyone anything about money as it make you a target... appear average and get left alone by all. Scammers and dishonest types are everywhere.

5. Set achievable goals, not lofty fantasies. Decide what living the dream really means to you, or what is acceptable. Many people these days have such unrealistic expectations on so many topics that they always end up disappointed and unfulfilled.

6. Don't burn your bridges with your home country, keep an official address and bank account and have some investments, if possible, back home as an escape plan if it goes south... cover different eventualities, especially when newly arrived. Okay, once you are more established, then you can call the shots as you see fit... but caution is still advisable as the ground can move here quickly, as many have seen. Don't put all your financial eggs in one basket or just bring it all over here... bad idea.

7. Women. It is inevitable that you will bump into some girl that ticks all your boxes (even if you aren't looking for one), she will be sweet and nice, speak English and be free and younger than you... but this is where so much can go wrong and many guys screw it up over this one. The woman you decide to spend your time with over the long term, or get married to etc., is probably one of the most important decisions you make here. Give your spidey sense a complete MoT and install an upgrade to the caution/suspicion software you have.

8. Choose somewhere sensible to live. If you like the touristy places, then good to rent just outside where all the action is, not in the middle of it... then you can take it or leave it when you like, as being constanly in the craziness will send you nuts eventually.

9. Make friends slowly as there are many around who are not as they seem, both Foreigners and Thais.

10. Try not to become a raging alcoholic as no good will come of it.

11. Make yourself as legit as possible so that things are less likely to come crashing down at a moment's notice... don't drive without a licence, act in any way or work that's illegal, overstay a visa or do anything that attracts attention to yourself. Stay under the radar.

12. Make sure you are properly squared away with property laws, including those on condos and the problems with buying and selling them... plenty of silliness can be encountered on this one, and locations can morph as time goes by, plus slipshod construction, and all sorts of stuff.

13. Take the attitude that pretty much anything you spend here you should be able to afford to lose, as it's perfectly possible that you might. Yes, if you end up in a very stable marriage and buy a bungalow on an estate for you and the wife, then fine, but YOU still don't own it... building a temple to your vanity in the village on her land is of questionable rationale, unless of course you can just walk away from it.

14. Plan for different eventualities, nothing here stays the same and you should protect your situation and future over all else... critically think about your situation, as you are on your lonesome.

There are obviously more points, and feel free to add, but that lists gives potential long stayers some food for thought. Regards all.

Well done for taking the trouble to create this excellent piece of advice. There's many really sound points here. I can only hope it gets seen by people before they make the important decisions.