Good Posts By Beetlejuice

[IanForbes]

In another sub-forum, Beetlejuice made some observant posts that are insightful for unprepared foreigners coming to Thailand in particular and Asia in general. The topic deals with the tragedies that sometimes befall the unprepared.

Was once told, it is easy to live in Thailand, but also just as easy to die here. Sometimes foreigners find themselves alone, destitute and out of their depth in Thailand. Quite a few fall in love with the wrong type of girls, run out of money, and for many reasons are unable to stay in the country with nowhere else to go.

I think living in Thailand should carry a public heath warning for foreigners that come here ill prepared, on a hope and a prayer or seeking love with someone that may screw them for every penny.

Play it wrong the first time and the dream can easily turn into a nightmare. Just think about it, that's all.

I have personally witnessed the downfall of so many farangs, of all age groups, in different situations, those who had such high expectations when they decided Thailand was for them. Makes me weep thinking about what I have seen over the years.

Sorry to appear so negative, but these are the true facts and again I say, think before you leave the safety net of your own countries. Over here, if you fall into the gutter, there is nobody to pull you out..

I've personally had two good friends die after coming to Thailand on what was supposed to be an adventure of a lifetime. As it turned out the lifetime was much shortened.

[473geo]

Without knowing the circumstances of your friends demise, or the length of their stay Ian, your comment lacks a little substance.

There was not the information so readily available years ago to provide the cautionary comments. A person was here in Thailand, and dealt with each situation as it arose.

Life will throw up many challenges, temptations, and provide a wide variety of pitfalls to be avoided, in reality how many heed warnings? Perhaps just as many live life close to the edge wherever they are located.

In my opinion there is no real answer excepting personal experience, or perhaps making a call on based on experiences of others, even that is no guarantee of success.

If life was so predictable, with no risk involved.......wouldn't it be a little too boring?

Who can predict what changes may have occurred in their lives at the close of the following day?

Enjoy each day.......use a sprinkling of caution if you must........but balance it with a little excitement......

[elliss]

If life was so predictable, with no risk involved.......wouldn't it be a little too boring?

Who can predict what changes may have occurred in their lives at the close of the following day?

Enjoy each day.......use a sprinkling of caution if you must........but balance it with a little excitement......

i think you have summed it up perfectly . :jap:

[nisakiman]

If life was so predictable, with no risk involved.......wouldn't it be a little too boring?

The pathological aversion to risk that has gripped the west increasingly over the past couple of decades will be its downfall.

Kids are swaddled in cotton wool in case they should scrape their precious little knees.

Police won't move in on a violent scenario until they've done a risk assessment, by which time it's too late.

Guys won't move to Thailand because they might get ripped off, or they might die...

I despair.

Life is a gamble. The higher the stakes, the greater the rewards.

And the potential losses.

It's all down to how much you are prepared to stake (and perhaps reap the rewards of) on a blind hand.

Personally, I've always gambled with my life. Sometimes I lose, sometimes I win. But one thing my life has never been is boring.

[MAJIC]

Edit:

Double post. Always have problems with page loading at this time with TV. Maintainance time perhaps? Dunno.

Yep same time for me,the posting problems,

Press the Post button,nothing happens,do it several times and several identical Posts will appear eventually when the system has cleared, I have put it down to Tv Backup time,or something like that,but like you "unsure"

Edited September 21, 2010 by MAJIC

[GuestHouse]

Ian, I agree entirely with what Beetlejuice has said there, I frequently write on similar lines but I've also often given my definition of what constitutes good advice here on TV and amongst the expat community in Thailand.

Good advice is that which reinforces the beliefs/desires/position of the reader. Bad advise is that which is critically questions the beliefs/desires/position of the reader.

Psychologists call it 'Confirmation Bias' and we see and awful lot of it on Thai Visa.

It is with this in mind that I chose my signature line.

[IanForbes]

I pretty much agree with all the posts so far. My whole life was a series of calculated risks and I'm a better man for it. However, there are calculated risks, and being down right stupid. Neither of my two friends who died were stupid, but both of them were killed in motorcycle accidents that MIGHT have been avoided ahd they been better prepared for Asia.. Despite being competent motorbike riders, and much better than me, they also liked to push the limits of speed. In Asia that is like signing your death warrant if you intend to speed in Thailand. Evenutally, your number comes up when some other driver or rider ALSO does something stupid. I still ride in Thailand, but I'm 100% aware at all times and never ride intoxicated. I EXPECT the unexpected and yet still get in minor scrapes.

Having been burnt by female relationships in Canada (2 marriages) I was well aware of the pitfalls that could occur in Thailand. And, even knowing that it has still been easy to let down my guard. Fortunately, I haven't jumped off the bridge like so many other men who fell hopelessly in love with some pretty Thai maiden half his age.

That is not the only point in Beetlejuice's remarks. North America and the United Kingdom's commonwealth (Canada, Australia & New Zealand) have social networks to help out when a citizen gets into trouble. That is not the case in Thailand. Support for Thais comes from within their own family. Foreigners in Thailand don't often have that option of support. I've seen the wretched souls who seem lost in Thailand. One sat near me for 6 hours in Suvarnabuhm airport while I was waiting for my next flight. Authorities came by every few hours and took pictures of the poor man. He had a half drunk bottle of booze and was mumbling to himself the entire time. His tattered clothes stunk of booze and sweat, and I could smell him from 3 meters away. What eventually happened to him I have no idea.

However, I personally LIKE the freedom that Thailand offers me. I have to be responsible for ALL my own actions and I am free to kill myself anyway I so choose if I am stupid. It is the essential personal adventure and there is an adrenaline rush when dealing with unusual circumstances. For me, North America has become too much of a nanny state wtih too many rules and regulations. The only law I follow is to do unto others as I would like them to do unto me. I believe in helping others and expect nothing in return. A happy, smiling face is all I ask.

[GuestHouse]

Another significant issue is the state of mind of foreigners moving to Thailand.

Full of the joys of a new found second youth, many will not be willing to accept that fresh from the 'divorce courts' or other life crisis on which their life pivoted, turned and directed them to Thailand, they arive emotionally vulnerable - Out of the frying pan into the fire.

[IanForbes]

Another significant issue is the state of mind of foreigners moving to Thailand.

Full of the joys of a new found second youth, many will not be willing to accept that fresh from the 'divorce courts' or other life crisis on which their life pivoted, turned and directed them to Thailand, they arive emotionally vulnerable - Out of the frying pan into the fire.

True. I remember that time vividly. Fortunately, I've always been a calculating person who tests the water first. Men who find themselves single after 20 or 30 years of marriage are often at a loss when arriving in Thailand. I remember one guy sitting alone on a bar stool in Pattaya. I was meeting a Thai lady from Sakhon Nakhon at the time, and who was visiting her sister who was cooking at a Pattaya cafe. When I asked Kung to join me for a trip to Koh Larn she asked me who I could line up her sister with. Being alone, I knew of nobody. But, I walked up to the guy sitting alone at the bar and asked him if he wanted to join us. He looked surprised, but very happy that I asked him. Over the course of a few drinks he told me he was 45 years old and had just divorced his wife of 20 years in the UK. it was his first day in Thailand and didn't know the score. We all spent the afternoon together and he hit it off with Kung's younger sister. The next day we all went to Koh Larn together. Two weeks later the British guy married Kung's sister. They still seemed happy a couple years later, but after that I lost touch with them.

12 years later I met Kung again when she came running up to me calling my name. We renewed acquaintances, but it wasn't the same. She had gotten married to a German fellow who subsequently got killed on a motorcycle accident and didn't live to see the birth of his daughter.

[Kwasaki]

There seems a lot of tragedy out there.

Fortunate for me never experianced it here in Thailand only hear about it.

[JurgenG]

All the (successful) thrill seekers that I know are actually very conservative people. You don't go base jumping or start a new business on the other side of the world without being fully prepared. And it's the same for the successful expats, even if they seem sometime very open minded when it comes to new experiences, they're usually very conservative when it comes to their everyday life.

The other trap when moving abroad is thinking you will escape problems you had back home. Actually they will follow you and things will only be worse as, as IanForbes justly said, you have no more social networks to help you out.

Actually I realize, it's just what Beetlejuice said, just put in other words ... Clear mind, be prepared, here are the ingredients of the happy expatriation.

[Thakkar]

All the (successful) thrill seekers that I know are actually very conservative people. You don't go base jumping or start a new business on the other side of the world without being fully prepared. And it's the same for the successful expats, even if they seem sometime very open minded when it comes to new experiences, they're usually very conservative when it comes to their everyday life.

The other trap when moving abroad is thinking you will escape problems you had back home. Actually they will follow you and things will only be worse as, as IanForbes justly said, you have no more social networks to help you out.

Actually I realize, it's just what Beetlejuice said, just put in other words ... Clear mind, be prepared, here are the ingredients of the happy expatriation.

The risk takers who've thrived are often described as 'lucky'. But when you examine their 'luck' closely, you find that it looks a lot like hard work.

[Shotime]

I think the point that Bettlejuice is making is that things are different here. It's best to be prepared for the results of risks we take in life, but, here in Thailand, those results can be surprising to a westerner. Here, you are a stranger in a strange land.

[StreetCowboy]

All the (successful) thrill seekers that I know are actually very conservative people. You don't go base jumping or start a new business on the other side of the world without being fully prepared. And it's the same for the successful expats, even if they seem sometime very open minded when it comes to new experiences, they're usually very conservative when it comes to their everyday life.

The other trap when moving abroad is thinking you will escape problems you had back home. Actually they will follow you and things will only be worse as, as IanForbes justly said, you have no more social networks to help you out.

Actually I realize, it's just what Beetlejuice said, just put in other words ... Clear mind, be prepared, here are the ingredients of the happy expatriation.

The risk takers who've thrived are often described as 'lucky'. But when you examine their 'luck' closely, you find that it looks a lot like hard work.

Lack of imagination has helped me be more adventurous... what could possibly go wrong?

Its the easiest and quickest way to find out, though admittedly not the most prudent and not one that I would recommend whole-heartedly in every case, nor for every individual.

I do think that diligence and preparation are poor substitutes for luck, but nevertheless, these are options that are available to us all, whereas luck can be a fickle travelling companion (though perhaps, more dependable than relying on my wits alone, though your experience may differ...)

If you keep running away from your problems long enough, eventually you'll find bigger problems to occupy your attention...

SC

Hard work never looks so arduous in hindsight, nor when you're watching from afar...

[Thakkar]

All the (successful) thrill seekers that I know are actually very conservative people. You don't go base jumping or start a new business on the other side of the world without being fully prepared. And it's the same for the successful expats, even if they seem sometime very open minded when it comes to new experiences, they're usually very conservative when it comes to their everyday life.

The other trap when moving abroad is thinking you will escape problems you had back home. Actually they will follow you and things will only be worse as, as IanForbes justly said, you have no more social networks to help you out.

Actually I realize, it's just what Beetlejuice said, just put in other words ... Clear mind, be prepared, here are the ingredients of the happy expatriation.

The risk takers who've thrived are often described as 'lucky'. But when you examine their 'luck' closely, you find that it looks a lot like hard work.

The addendum to that is:

When we scrutinize bad luck, we often find that it's really more likely bad judgement.

[thepanicandthevomit]

Ian, I agree entirely with what Beetlejuice has said there, I frequently write on similar lines but I've also often given my definition of what constitutes good advice here on TV and amongst the expat community in Thailand.

Good advice is that which reinforces the beliefs/desires/position of the reader. Bad advise is that which is critically questions the beliefs/desires/position of the reader.

Psychologists call it 'Confirmation Bias' and we see and awful lot of it on Thai Visa.

It is with this in mind that I chose my signature line.

I don't get it. Are you saying telling someone what they want to hear is good advice? Sounds like really bad advice to me...

ps what does your signature mean to those of us mere mortals who don't know latin?

[thepanicandthevomit]

I think the point that Bettlejuice is making is that things are different here. It's best to be prepared for the results of risks we take in life, but, here in Thailand, those results can be surprising to a westerner. Here, you are a stranger in a strange land.

If you don't respect thailand you could live to regret it. Or not.

[elcent]

All the (successful) thrill seekers that I know are actually very conservative people. You don't go base jumping or start a new business on the other side of the world without being fully prepared. And it's the same for the successful expats, even if they seem sometime very open minded when it comes to new experiences, they're usually very conservative when it comes to their everyday life.

The other trap when moving abroad is thinking you will escape problems you had back home. Actually they will follow you and things will only be worse as, as IanForbes justly said, you have no more social networks to help you out.

Actually I realize, it's just what Beetlejuice said, just put in other words ... Clear mind, be prepared, here are the ingredients of the happy expatriation.

Also Bilfinger & Berger, one of the largest constructors went bankrupt after trying to do business in Thailand. Noss consortium, the worlds largest construcion project designed for Bangkok went bankrupt too. BTS took more than 20 years. The project owner Gordon Wu from Hong Kong went nearly bankrupt too.

It's not just the simple John around here.

The blinding lights ensnare pretty much all and everything.