So, What Is Your Final Conclusion About Thailand ?

[Ulysses G.]

Rose colored glasses.

Edited April 2, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[manjara]

I love the family values.

Is that a joke

For my wife's family it is not a joke. For some families I have seen in Thailand, it could be!

In general, I think the thais are very family oriented and extended families take care of each other. There are a lot of exceptions...

In the UK I don't see families being so close-knit and rarely taking care of each other to any extent.

[elcent]

I was misinformed.

New question: what is your final solution about EARTH?

I looked for an emergency exit, but there is none.

[neverdie]

Rose colored glasses.

At least they're not beer goggles

[F1fanatic]

I love the family values.

Is that a joke

For my wife's family it is not a joke. For some families I have seen in Thailand, it could be!

In general, I think the thais are very family oriented and extended families take care of each other. There are a lot of exceptions...

In the UK I don't see families being so close-knit and rarely taking care of each other to any extent.

Different perspectives I suppose. I see lots of Thai women abandoning their children to be brought up by the grandparents.

Something that rarely happens in the West.

Funnily enough though, the kids (who've been brought up by grandparents) still think its their responsibility to look after their mother.

Times are changing though. I've been told its different in Bangkok. It will happen elsewhere eventually, probably v soon.

[hawthorne]

Cheers to you and your next adventures:

Heres to the Heat;

Not the kind that burns down shacks and shantees

but the kind that brings down pants and panties!!

From Chelsea est 2004 FOB Hotel An Najaf

[ManilaLover]

Things have kept improving over the years

Funny how people can see things totally different.

[ManilaLover]

OK all participants thanks so far for your submits, then now it's time for the intermediate scores:

pros:

food

relaxed life

cheap taxis

massages

open a bank account within 30 minutes

cheap labour

beaches, ocean

the attitude

driving a bike

smiling girls

fishing, diving

cons:

fake smiles

overcharging

crazy drivers

fear of accidents

business disputes

racism

too hot

lack of quality

wasteful people

dumb callcenter people

two faced Thais and their general bs

sitting on the floor

crap TV

be expected to pay the food

dual pricing

can't own land

hard to work legally

Thai side with Thai

This makes the intermediate score: 11 positive things versus 18 negative things.

Time for the next round.

[mickscottatlanta]

Well after having been back in the US for a few years, it is great to be back here. I

m loving it.

[BlackArtemis]

I love it, but it seems too many people feel the need to have their views justified.

[G54]

mummy!!!!

He is in Egypt.

Thailand? It is, erm, different and that is half the fun of the place

[Slaps]

My conclusion while Thailand has allot of great things about it, after nearly 5 years here, I am leaving the end of next week. For me the bad far outweighs the good. And rather than become one of those grumpy complainers, I have decided to move on and leave Thailand to those that enjoy it better than I do.

I won't miss the fake smiles, the constant attempts to charge me more because I am white (from restraints to hotels to spas to parks to just about anything here), the crazy drivers that are allowed to break all kinds of rules in front of the traffic police without being stopped, the fear of knowing I could be in an accident that was not my fault and spend time in jail (you don't have to be there, someone can hit your parked car while you are asleep in the house and you could end up in jail). Knowing that 9/10 if there is a problem (tuk-tuk, jet ski, car accident, business dispute) the Thai even if in the wrong will win. So many things that I dislike about this country and they all at a fundamental level come back to blatant racism.

I will miss the real smiles, the weather, the sights, the quality massages, the food, and most of all the few genuine Thai friends I have here.

And for those that are bound to ask: no I did not lose a job, I did not go through a breakup, nor am I in trouble with the law.

Good post mate. That is i think exactly the way it is. It has many wrongs but many good points too. Nice to read a balanced viewpoint

I have to go with this

I think it's called stage two

[elkangorito]

So many 'easily answered' threads lately...this is one of them.

Thailand is run by imbeciles. Please note that the imbeciles are not 'elected' imbeciles since Thailand is hardly a democracy.

The good thing is that if you live in a country run by imbeciles, your life (as a smarter person) is relatively easy, as long as you don't have to put up with all that indoctrinated crap (culture).

In a nutshell, Thailand is great if you can avoid all the shenanigans. This is similar to other folks who move to a country with differing 'ideas' to their own country. What happens is that people end up forming 'enclaves' with similar folk. The reason why this happens is that the host country is too discriminatory (xenophobic) to 'foster' integration.

Have a lovely day.

[ThailandTommy]

I concur with MyPhuketLife 100% although I think you have been kind with your choice of words, I had just over 5 years here and could not get out quick enough.

My wife and I return for 6 months every year, she has to because of family ties and to check on a business interest. We now agree that 6 months is 5 months too long, from the moment we arrive to the second we leave someone is attempting to rip us off.

We have made a few friends who we miss when not here, unfortunately, I have concluded that the nice genuine people are normally victims.

Thailand is no longer a value for money destination.

I have just been made aware that in Hua Hin and Cha Am the local Government are introducing a property and ‘local’ tax.

If you own a property via a company, it now costs 12,000THB per annum to have the company audit, on top of that I would suggest that these proposed taxes will double that, then you have your community charges (to pay for security, and general maintenance) which is roughly another 12,000 THB that’s 36,000 THB per annum just to be here! And what will you have to show for this money?

Before all the ‘I love Thailand’ brigade go on about council tax etc, the difference is that when you pay these taxes in the West you do actually get something for your money, libraries, hospitals, police, refuge collection, street maintenance.

To finish on a positive note I think that the cost of dental treatment is possibly the only thing that (at the moment) represents value for money.

[sokal]

Sorry the positive has not outweighed the negative with your time here. I really have had no reason to fear most of the things you mention, such as overcharging and problems with the police. I have seen little or none of this where I live. You did not mention the ladies, which I feel is the number one hazard here. A constant vigil is required, usually.

I am married with a son, the bar/ladies scene is not my thing, that can lead to allot of other issues, and have seen fellow farangs fall deep into that rabbit hole.

yeah so the best way to avoid the rabbit hole is to go to a place where you never get laid.

[cmdream]

I love the food and the relaxed way of life. I like being able to slip a couple of hundred to the traffic police for some minor traffic infringement. I like being able to get motorcycle taxis and normal taxis without taking a mortgage. I like the (normal Thai) massages. I like that it's (fairly) cheap to live. I love the family values.

I miss quality... in almost everything! Hire a Thai to do something and you can guarantee you will regret not doing it yourself! sick of buying crap that falls apart. I hate the way Thais are so wasteful of everything, from water to toys, minimal care is taken to preserve anything.

I miss a cool breeze, I miss decent wine (at reasonable prices), I miss a decent choice of cars to buy, I miss intelligent conversation, I miss humour, I miss decent internet, mobile phone coverage. I miss a garden.

To be honest, I could solve a lot of these things by living on a mountain near Chiang Mai and starting a vinyard and importing teachers, builders, plumbers and carpenters from Europe. Sounds like I should start a cult!

Don't care about phone coverage and my internet is good enough, but lack of quality is a big annoyance here yes.

But most I hate the Chiangmai ringroads and city traffic that, when driving a motorbike inbetween those total dumbos usually makes me feel so negative and frustrated that I wonder if such negativism could cause cancer. However I luckily no need to be in that rotten city too often.

If you hook a Lisu girl you can live in the real moutains for free (the cool-breezed Lisu reserve that is not accessible for normal Thais !!!!) and start a cult that's a good idea yes !

Tell me more about your starting-a-cult ideas plz ?

Sorry Pal you are to bazaar to get an answer, just go home to MAMA

[Naam]

If you own a property via a company, it now costs 12,000THB per annum to have the company audit, on top of that I would suggest that these proposed taxes will double that, then you have your community charges (to pay for security, and general maintenance) which is roughly another 12,000 THB that’s 36,000 THB per annum just to be here! And what will you have to show for this money?

36,000 Baht = 800 EURos per annum is of course a terribly high amount and quite obviously only multimillionaires can afford that kind of luxury as your posting clearly shows that you possess a wealth of "no idea" i am not wasting too much of my time making additional comments

[beerchang]

Final conclusion? Can't answer that, but up to now, if you expatriate here, you either immerse yourself into the culture (any country really) and use a wise mans' eyes when 'immersing' or just remain exactly the same person with the same moans which will multiply in Thailand.

Some people can change, adapt, welcome a better lifestyle (subject to the individual) and be happy with their choice.....others can't.

Association with the wise, a Buddhist teaching.

Thailand works very well for me.

[ThailandTommy]

If you own a property via a company, it now costs 12,000THB per annum to have the company audit, on top of that I would suggest that these proposed taxes will double that, then you have your community charges (to pay for security, and general maintenance) which is roughly another 12,000 THB that's 36,000 THB per annum just to be here! And what will you have to show for this money?

36,000 Baht = 800 EURos per annum is of course a terribly high amount and quite obviously only multimillionaires can afford that kind of luxury as your posting clearly shows that you possess a wealth of "no idea" i am not wasting too much of my time making additional comments

I also mentioned the 'I love Thailand brigade' and here you are! In your rush to defend the land that you are 'trapped in' you seem to have missed the point that being WHAT WILL YOU GET FOR TOUR MONEY.

If you are short of a few baht .....PM me your bank details and I will loan you some, it will save you the embarrassment of sitting on the steps of the local 7/11 drinking your daily Chiang.........wanke_r!!

Edited April 3, 2010 by ThailandTommy

[purplehaze]

Overrated,over hyped and well past it's sell by date.

[Naam]

If you own a property via a company, it now costs 12,000THB per annum to have the company audit, on top of that I would suggest that these proposed taxes will double that, then you have your community charges (to pay for security, and general maintenance) which is roughly another 12,000 THB that's 36,000 THB per annum just to be here! And what will you have to show for this money?

36,000 Baht = 800 EURos per annum is of course a terribly high amount and quite obviously only multimillionaires can afford that kind of luxury as your posting clearly shows that you possess a wealth of "no idea" i am not wasting too much of my time making additional comments

I also mentioned the 'I love Thailand brigade' and here you are! In your rush to defend the land that you are 'trapped in' you seem to have missed the point that being WHAT WILL YOU GET FOR TOUR MONEY.

If you are short of a few baht .....PM me your bank details and I will loan you some, it will save you the embarrassment of sitting on the steps of the local 7/11 drinking your daily Chiang.........wanke_r!!

mentioning facts has nothing to do with "defending the land". and you don't have to describe your wànker's way of life repeatedly. you made it already quite clear in the posting i referred too. it is ridiculous bitching about community charges of 12,000 Baht as in my home country i pay annually more just for garbage collection. i also find the 43,600 Baht p.a. i pay for certain services in the gated community i live dàmn cheap because when living in Florida i paid annually property taxes of USD 7,350 (242,000 Baht) plus community charges of USD 3,900 (128,000 Baht). the majority of these savings i spend now on Chang sitting 24/7 outside a 7/11

p.s. good for Thailand is that the country gets rid of people like you!

[yabaaaa]

If you own a property via a company, it now costs 12,000THB per annum to have the company audit, on top of that I would suggest that these proposed taxes will double that, then you have your community charges (to pay for security, and general maintenance) which is roughly another 12,000 THB that's 36,000 THB per annum just to be here! And what will you have to show for this money?

36,000 Baht = 800 EURos per annum is of course a terribly high amount and quite obviously only multimillionaires can afford that kind of luxury as your posting clearly shows that you possess a wealth of "no idea" i am not wasting too much of my time making additional comments

I also mentioned the 'I love Thailand brigade' and here you are! In your rush to defend the land that you are 'trapped in' you seem to have missed the point that being WHAT WILL YOU GET FOR TOUR MONEY.

If you are short of a few baht .....PM me your bank details and I will loan you some, it will save you the embarrassment of sitting on the steps of the local 7/11 drinking your daily Chiang.........wanke_r!!

mentioning facts has nothing to do with "defending the land". and you don't have to describe your wànker's way of life repeatedly. you made it already quite clear in the posting i referred too. it is ridiculous bitching about community charges of 12,000 Baht as in my home country i pay annually more just for garbage collection. i also find the 43,600 Baht p.a. i pay for certain services in the gated community i live dàmn cheap because when living in Florida i paid annually property taxes of USD 7,350 (242,000 Baht) plus community charges of USD 3,900 (128,000 Baht). the majority of these savings i spend now on Chang sitting 24/7 outside a 7/11

p.s. good for Thailand is that the country gets rid of people like you!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Impossible to say. Thailand has changed a little since I arrived, and I personally have changed A LOT since I arrived. So with both sides ever changing, there isn't really a final conclusion.

I'm liking it so far though, even considering how much I've changed personally.

[Edmond]

So, What Is Your Final Conclusion About Thailand ?

Patience is a virtue.

[kratiam]

If you own a property via a company, it now costs 12,000THB per annum to have the company audit, on top of that I would suggest that these proposed taxes will double that, then you have your community charges (to pay for security, and general maintenance) which is roughly another 12,000 THB that's 36,000 THB per annum just to be here! And what will you have to show for this money?

36,000 Baht = 800 EURos per annum is of course a terribly high amount and quite obviously only multimillionaires can afford that kind of luxury as your posting clearly shows that you possess a wealth of "no idea" i am not wasting too much of my time making additional comments

I also mentioned the 'I love Thailand brigade' and here you are! In your rush to defend the land that you are 'trapped in' you seem to have missed the point that being WHAT WILL YOU GET FOR TOUR MONEY.

If you are short of a few baht .....PM me your bank details and I will loan you some, it will save you the embarrassment of sitting on the steps of the local 7/11 drinking your daily Chiang.........wanke_r!!

mentioning facts has nothing to do with "defending the land". and you don't have to describe your wànker's way of life repeatedly. you made it already quite clear in the posting i referred too. it is ridiculous bitching about community charges of 12,000 Baht as in my home country i pay annually more just for garbage collection. i also find the 43,600 Baht p.a. i pay for certain services in the gated community i live dàmn cheap because when living in Florida i paid annually property taxes of USD 7,350 (242,000 Baht) plus community charges of USD 3,900 (128,000 Baht). the majority of these savings i spend now on Chang sitting 24/7 outside a 7/11

p.s. good for Thailand is that the country gets rid of people like you!

I like your style......good response!

[balo]

I only stay in Thailand a few months every year.

Maybe thats why I still love it.

[jpolten]

I have loved the place since I arrived in 1989 and the good has always outweighed the bad. Things have kept improving over the years - IMHO - and I don't want to live anywhere else.

Been looking for a pair of those all over thailand,but can't seem to find them anywhere!!

Where can i get a pair?????????........did you have them custom made??????......can i buy them from you...pleeeeaasssee!!

[ManilaLover]

I have loved the place since I arrived in 1989 and the good has always outweighed the bad. Things have kept improving over the years - IMHO - and I don't want to live anywhere else.

Been looking for a pair of those all over thailand,but can't seem to find them anywhere!!

Where can i get a pair?????????........did you have them custom made??????......can i buy them from you...pleeeeaasssee!!

You can get your own pair of pink glasses very easy here !

That feels good does'nt it

[MyphuketLife]

Sorry the positive has not outweighed the negative with your time here. I really have had no reason to fear most of the things you mention, such as overcharging and problems with the police. I have seen little or none of this where I live. You did not mention the ladies, which I feel is the number one hazard here. A constant vigil is required, usually.

I am married with a son, the bar/ladies scene is not my thing, that can lead to allot of other issues, and have seen fellow farangs fall deep into that rabbit hole.

yeah so the best way to avoid the rabbit hole is to go to a place where you never get laid.

or i don't know have sex with your wife??? Married, wife same age as me, getting laid is not an issue, can go anywhere in the world and get laid...

[needforspeed]

Been here for over 20 years, many things change some for the good some for the bad.

I change myself aswell, and more than Thailand did the last 20 years.

Still each time when i arrived at the airport i feel home, and when leaving i feel sad.

I just love the place.