Are You A Winner Or A Loser

[hotandhumid]

My (Thai) girlfriend is of the mind that all farang who pack it in back home and start a new life in Thailand are losers.

I would say that many would think that.

[Heng]

Is money important? No, not really. Self satisfaction and contentment is much more important. The only time money is important is if you don't have any.

I used to mention 'the money doesn't mean that much' cliche often myself, but tend not to as much anymore. I do know what you mean though.

Over time I kept getting more and more reminders like this one: Acquired a small strip, just ten units, of single story 2,000 Baht 1 room rentals a couple years ago. Didn't really want them, but had to take them as part of debt reduction for one of our customers. Rent for the tenants who live here is more often than not paid in hundreds, twenties, and sometimes coins collected together. I make sure my kids get to see how these folks live from time to time as well. Always a matter of fact type reminder to appreciate it all, it's easy to forget how difficult life is for some when you mostly only see it on television.

Edited December 11, 2011 by Heng

[tailspin]

reading this thread made me a potential loser, responding to it makes me a definite loser

[thaimate]

My post was deleted ,so am i a winner or a loser?

[473geo]

My post was deleted ,so am i a winner or a loser?

Inconsequential

[elgato]

My post was deleted ,so am i a winner or a loser?

I can't read your deleted post - am I a winner or loser?

[Gary A]

Young, well-educated, wife and I walked away from more money than most people ever get to make, have a beautiful, young, educated, kind wife, good looking and physically healthy, dropped my concern for material wealth (as evidenced by walking away from a lot of money), do not care for the many distractions that many fall for, learned to not take things personally most of the time, acclimatized, started building relationships with other educated foreigners and Thais here from various places (like school and such), learned to not care much about roaches crawling on my food, learned to be a bit more humble, decided against having any children (huge win, imo), decided that winning is not only about tangible things (like material wealth) but it can also be something like a lack of fear of failure and an understanding that the ride is just as important as the destination.

How about you, OP? Anything inspiring?

So, you are young and well educated.

Your wife is also young. She is beautiful, well-educated, kind, good looking and physically healthy.

Great. Really great.

But what have you actually achieved?

Not sure what you mean as you are calling attention to only a very small portion of my post. Can you clarify?

Give the guy a break, he can't have children. He said 'decided not to' have kids but we all know in truth what that really means don't we

So what, I can't have kids either. The doctor took care of that problem for me. I raised my two and the rest of my life belongs to me. My wife never had any and would have liked to have kids but that was discussed at length before we were married. If she wanted kids that badly, she would have had to find a different husband. She chose to marry me knowing that. She babysits quite often and spoils other people's kids.

[HardenedSoul]

Is money important? No, not really. Self satisfaction and contentment is much more important. The only time money is important is if you don't have any.

I used to mention 'the money doesn't mean that much' cliche often myself, but tend not to as much anymore. I do know what you mean though.

Over time I kept getting more and more reminders like this one: Acquired a small strip, just ten units, of single story 2,000 Baht 1 room rentals a couple years ago. Didn't really want them, but had to take them as part of debt reduction for one of our customers. Rent for the tenants who live here is more often than not paid in hundreds, twenties, and sometimes coins collected together. I make sure my kids get to see how these folks live from time to time as well. Always a matter of fact type reminder to appreciate it all, it's easy to forget how difficult life is for some when you mostly only see it on television.

+1

[poanoi]

The question posed by @Pattaniman was probably directed to those who are not yet financially independent. (i.e those who have to work for a living)

Correct me if i'm wrong pattaniman ?

I believe those living here who have to work for a living is in minority, most of us havn't really much left to achieve beyond another beer/shag/whatever.

This by itself get pretty frickin boring too, so beats me what a winner is.

How do you define a winner yourself Pattaniman ?

[transam]

My post was deleted ,so am i a winner or a loser?

Depends who deleted it.

[mataus101]

the happiest person i know is a thai man who lives in the absolute most ghetto part of klong toy.

you can barely stretch out in his little one room shack built from garbage.

he was a former olympian, and 2 time gold medalist boxer in the asian games, also a very successful muay thai fighter.

now he had same problems and is living where he is.

however the fact that he and his wife are the happiest people i have seen, i think that makes them the most successful people i know.

i hope i obtain what they have.

Edited December 11, 2011 by mataus101

[tropo]

the happiest person i know is a thai man who lives in the absolute most ghetto part of klong toy.

you can barely stretch out in his little one room shack built from garbage.

he was a former olympian, and 2 time gold medalist boxer in the asian games, also a very successful muay thai fighter.

now he had same problems and is living where he is.

however the fact that he and his wife are the happiest people i have seen, i think that makes them the most successful people i know.

i hope i obtain what they have.

Obviously it's nothing they have which makes them "happy". Look within. Perhaps simplifying your life and becoming a monk is the best way to go.

The OP is obviously caught up in the material world and being a so called "winner" there is an illusion. This is because he only feels like a winner if he has "losers" (people with less he thinks are losers) to compare himself with. If he compares himself with more successful people he'll feel like a loser.

A sad existence.

A winner is a person who feels content with what he has no matter who he's standing next to.

Bottom line - the OP is a big loser.

[mataus101]

spent a great deal of time in the temple,but not as a monk as i will miss the wife and child, also got one on the way.

[Heng]

the happiest person i know is a thai man who lives in the absolute most ghetto part of klong toy.

you can barely stretch out in his little one room shack built from garbage.

he was a former olympian, and 2 time gold medalist boxer in the asian games, also a very successful muay thai fighter.

now he had same problems and is living where he is.

however the fact that he and his wife are the happiest people i have seen, i think that makes them the most successful people i know.

i hope i obtain what they have.

The trouble usually comes into ghetto 'paradise' when someone in this situation gets seriously ill. Those 70,000 Baht full body PET scans at the National Cyclotron and PET Centre that detect cancer anywhere in your body aren't part of the 30 Baht nor social security med. plan despite it being a government institution. In fact there are plenty of 'elite' treatment regimens within gov't hospitals that seem to only to have 'poor' relatives of generals of the various armed forces as their patients in addition of course to paying clientele. There are very few things other than luck, good genes, and healthy living that will beat or at least significantly delay cancer... and one of those things is stacks and stacks of grey notes.

Edited December 11, 2011 by Heng

[Riely]

1. what -- if anything -- have you achieved?<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252); ">2. what new skills -- if any -- have you learned, developed, honed, and used to your advantage?<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252); ">3. what -- if anything -- have you accomplished? What makes you stand out from the crowd?<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252); ">

1. So much, I was 26 jobless, and single when I came here 10 yrs ago. I now have my own company (with about 60 employees), financial independence, house, car, Great wife, from awesome family, and 2 good healthy kids.

2. Sales & Closing skills, some patience & tolerance (not as much as I would like but more than I had) Entrepreneurial skills, better lover, better friend, better man. I learned all these while living here in Thailand and working in the Mid East, life hasn't always been easy here, but it's always been good. What I learned here I used to make myself more Independence and go after what I want in life.

3) I guess see my answers to question 1 & 2.. So much, I never was part of a crowd. I have never even seen anyone or heard of anyone who came from were I did, doing what I did, living how I live now. Forget about the same interests.. Similar people sure, but the same..no never. I love Thailand , always have, It almost feels like she helped me to grow up and has been there looking out for my loved ones.

[msg362]

1 Got married and happy

2 Learnt to make and edit videos and that keeps me busy

3 Made lots of new friends

4 See the world differently

5 Learnt to smile more

6 Learnt to be more tolerant

7 Found that things could be done tomorrow and that the world would not come to an end

8 Realised that the sun shone in November, unlike Scotland

[tropo]

the happiest person i know is a thai man who lives in the absolute most ghetto part of klong toy.

you can barely stretch out in his little one room shack built from garbage.

he was a former olympian, and 2 time gold medalist boxer in the asian games, also a very successful muay thai fighter.

now he had same problems and is living where he is.

however the fact that he and his wife are the happiest people i have seen, i think that makes them the most successful people i know.

i hope i obtain what they have.

The trouble usually comes into ghetto 'paradise' when someone in this situation gets seriously ill. Those 70,000 Baht full body PET scans at the National Cyclotron and PET Centre that detect cancer anywhere in your body aren't part of the 30 Baht nor social security med. plan despite it being a government institution. In fact there are plenty of 'elite' treatment regimens within gov't hospitals that seem to only to have 'poor' relatives of generals of the various armed forces as their patients in addition of course to paying clientele. There are very few things other than luck, good genes, and healthy living that will beat or at least significantly delay cancer... and one of those things is stacks and stacks of grey notes.

The treatments for cancer are often worse than the disease and still ineffective. Better off dying and saving the money for your family. The only winners are the hospitals and doctors.

Either way it requires good luck.

[manarak]

the happiest person i know is a thai man who lives in the absolute most ghetto part of klong toy.

you can barely stretch out in his little one room shack built from garbage.

he was a former olympian, and 2 time gold medalist boxer in the asian games, also a very successful muay thai fighter.

now he had same problems and is living where he is.

however the fact that he and his wife are the happiest people i have seen, i think that makes them the most successful people i know.

i hope i obtain what they have.

The trouble usually comes into ghetto 'paradise' when someone in this situation gets seriously ill. Those 70,000 Baht full body PET scans at the National Cyclotron and PET Centre that detect cancer anywhere in your body aren't part of the 30 Baht nor social security med. plan despite it being a government institution. In fact there are plenty of 'elite' treatment regimens within gov't hospitals that seem to only to have 'poor' relatives of generals of the various armed forces as their patients in addition of course to paying clientele. There are very few things other than luck, good genes, and healthy living that will beat or at least significantly delay cancer... and one of those things is stacks and stacks of grey notes.

The treatments for cancer are often worse than the disease and still ineffective. Better off dying and saving the money for your family. The only winners are the hospitals and doctors.

Either way it requires good luck.

Many cancer patients have a good chance of being 'cured' if the cancer is detected early enough, hence the utility of these scans if you can afford them.

Edited December 11, 2011 by manarak

[mataus101]

they dont have cancer anyway

[Berkshire]

the happiest person i know is a thai man who lives in the absolute most ghetto part of klong toy.

you can barely stretch out in his little one room shack built from garbage.

he was a former olympian, and 2 time gold medalist boxer in the asian games, also a very successful muay thai fighter.

now he had same problems and is living where he is.

however the fact that he and his wife are the happiest people i have seen, i think that makes them the most successful people i know.

i hope i obtain what they have.

Very cool story. Many would probably feel sorry for the guy, but they shouldn't. Some of the happiest people I know are of little means. I should also say some of the unhappiest people I know are also of little means, usually farangs.

[Soutpeel]

I am happy as long as the Champagne is served precisely 10 degree's C and the Beluga has good consistancy

[stoneyboy]

I've been a winner and a loser,currently I'm a winner,but that doesn't mean I won't never be a loser again,

[PattaniMan]

The OP is obviously caught up in the material world and being a so called "winner" there is an illusion. This is because he only feels like a winner if he has "losers" (people with less he thinks are losers) to compare himself with. If he compares himself with more successful people he'll feel like a loser.

A sad existence.

A winner is a person who feels content with what he has no matter who he's standing next to.

Bottom line - the OP is a big loser.

I asked three very simple questions. None reference money or materialism.

1. what -- if anything -- have you achieved?

2. what new skills -- if any -- have you learned, developed, honed, and used to your advantage?

3. what -- if anything -- have you accomplished? What makes you stand out from the crowd?

Your comments do nothing more than reveal your own insecurities and inferiority issues.

[Heng]

the happiest person i know is a thai man who lives in the absolute most ghetto part of klong toy.

you can barely stretch out in his little one room shack built from garbage.

he was a former olympian, and 2 time gold medalist boxer in the asian games, also a very successful muay thai fighter.

now he had same problems and is living where he is.

however the fact that he and his wife are the happiest people i have seen, i think that makes them the most successful people i know.

i hope i obtain what they have.

The trouble usually comes into ghetto 'paradise' when someone in this situation gets seriously ill. Those 70,000 Baht full body PET scans at the National Cyclotron and PET Centre that detect cancer anywhere in your body aren't part of the 30 Baht nor social security med. plan despite it being a government institution. In fact there are plenty of 'elite' treatment regimens within gov't hospitals that seem to only to have 'poor' relatives of generals of the various armed forces as their patients in addition of course to paying clientele. There are very few things other than luck, good genes, and healthy living that will beat or at least significantly delay cancer... and one of those things is stacks and stacks of grey notes.

The treatments for cancer are often worse than the disease and still ineffective. Better off dying and saving the money for your family. The only winners are the hospitals and doctors.

Either way it requires good luck.

As mentioned, if caught early you can buy yourself a LOT more time, and in fact can avoid it altogether (like cancerous warts or single spot skin growths, removal of potentially cancerous cysts for women, even catching liver cancer when it's a simple single lesion in one lobe, for example). If you can't afford it, it's quite 'normal' to find out you have stage 3 or more cancer so it's quite normal for much of the population to think it's an automatic death sentence.

[Heng]

they dont have cancer anyway

They probably don't, I'm just saying that's when that 'happiness' can evaporate in a second... and let's not kid ourselves, the more serious diseases are rife at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum. This is especially true if their daily routine is something along the lines of 'working long hours at somewhere like a factory that is likely toxic, eating food cooked and then immediately poured or scooped into plastic bags, and then topping the day off with low quality alcohol to dull the 'happiness' of it all.'

I've seen both sides of the coin here and the less well off don't die very 'well' here at all. I've seen some guys try to pull their IV out of their arms with their teeth because they want to end it all, all in plain view of strangers because their 'health plan' means they have to be in a room with 30 other hospital beds, thus no one has the guts to beg a doctor behind the scenes somewhere to help them end the situation with some dignity, which can often be done in a private room.

[tropo]

Your comments do nothing more than reveal your own insecurities and inferiority issues.

Don't get upset that someone suggests you're a loser in your own thread asking that question.

Your questions compel people to weigh themselves against other people - money, achievements etc.

If you do that, you're a loser. You can't be anything else.

Edited December 12, 2011 by tropo

[Fookhaht]

My post was deleted ,so am i a winner or a loser?

Dam_n! You're not even a blip on the radar!

[WAYNEandAEI]

I am content so that makes me a winner. I worked all my life and when I retired, all my business suits, ties, socks, long sleeved shirts and shoes went to a veterans organization. I vowed to NEVER again wear a suit and tie for the rest of my life.

I want no commitments, no meetings and I want to do exactly whatever I want to do and nothing that I don't want to do. I have a large well equipped work shop and enjoy tinkering but not to the extent that it could be considered work.

My wife actively farms so when she is busy, I volunteer to feed the chickens, ducks and the fish in our pond. When I am in the mood to eat fish I do catch them myself. Not only that, I clean them and cook them myself on the BBQ. I am the chief BBQ operator.

I go up on a nearby mountain a couple times a week and drink beer with whoever else happens to be there. I dislike fancy restaurants and much prefer my wife's cooking. On occasion, I do take her to a restaurant of her choosing, but NOT to any fancy places.

I used to make the rather long trip to Jomtien and stay in my condo and visit friends. It got to be boring and I missed my wife so I have rented out the condo. My wife was usually too busy to go with me so she stayed home and took care of the chickens, ducks and fish besides feeding my dog.

Life is good out here in the boonies.

You have found nirvana my friend...Congratulations. :jap:

[pattayadingo]

I have lost quite a lot of ladies and expecting to lose a few more along the way as I love them and leave them. A winning loser

[Semper]

"Are you a winner or a loser?"

Never really understood this mania for winning. I wonder if wanting to win makes one a loser by default?

I retired here for an easy life without work. On that basis I have succeeded as I do have an easy life and I don't work.

Learnt something new? I have, but given that I have also forgotten more than many people here ever knew, that isn't of any great import.

Accomplishments? I get up, live my day peacefully and go to bed at night without having to steal anything from anyone to pay for my next meal. This alone makes me stand out from many farangs living here, especially the ones that don't qualify for a retirement visa extension. They seem to be a particularly scummy lot. "Winners", I suppose.

+1