If You Was In My Shoes

[farang000999]

Quite a few Westerners could be in for surprises with regard to any supposed government cheese down the road, pension, social security, etc... all is up in the air.

[farang000999]

to the OP, the big question is if u want to have children in the future and if you want them to have a good education like u had in the west that will allow them to live where ever they want to live in their own life or if u want to send them to public thai school if u cannot afford 700,000++ baht / year for a good Western schooling, even then many english teachers seem to claim that international schools here are just businesses and not of high standard. the above, i believe is one of the more important, yet sadly overlooked issues. so many unexpected farang fathers in my view.

[poanoi]

He already clarified that: -he isn't interested in bringing up children.

The question is how much gonorrhea he will put up with before shifting interest to the real deal: Beer

My tip is Leo beer, pronounce leeee oooo

[green77]

He already clarified that: -he isn't interested in bringing up children.

The question is how much gonorrhea he will put up with before shifting interest to the real deal: Beer

My tip is Leo beer, pronounce leeee oooo

Party mode for the first year i think, i'm not sure if i will have kids, i'm not even sure if i will stay there, i'll take on board the advice i'm give it a shot, i'm not someone who will end up stuck there if it all goes pete tong.

[transam]

I'd advise taking some time to see a few more places in the world.

This place destroys more bright futures than it builds.

The eternal optimist speaks.

I prefer 'realist', it's far more often supported by the facts on the ground than is blind optimism.

You're just plain old boring mate, simple as that.

For once l agree .

[GuestHouse]

I believe the OP has answered his own question in .26 above.

There's a few things that don't add up, that aside I wish him the best of luck.

[Tonto21]

Op, I know it sound corny, but life is a journey, not a destination, don't be too quick to settle……Anywhere. If you have the means get out there, see the world, go and do it. You can come to Thailand, just don't commit. I would bet they are far more people on their death beds say they wish they had…..As opposed to they wish they hadn't, Thailand an't going anywhere, is it?

Edited December 12, 2011 by Tonto21

[meom]

I believe the OP has answered his own question in .26 above.

There's a few things that don't add up, that aside I wish him the best of luck.

Construction worker with offshore assests?

I assumed the OP was british, not polish.

[transam]

Op, I know it sound corny, but life is a journey, not a destination, don't be too quick to settle……Anywhere. If you have the means get out there, see the world, go and do it. You can come to Thailand, just don't commit. I would bet they are far more people on their death beds say they wish they had…..As opposed to they wish they hadn't, Thailand ain't going anywhere, is it?

+1

[GuestHouse]

Meanwhile I take Mrs Mills and Transam's comments as confirmation that I'm not far off the mark.

As I've often said, my definition of "Good ThaiVisa Advice" is 'advice which supports the predisposition of the person reading the advice'. 'Bad advice' is 'That which contradicts the predisposition of the person reading it'.

I've spent 13 out of the past 20 years working in Thailand, time enough to observe the reality of what I claim, Thailand destroys more bright futures than it makes.

It seems those who agree with that are in more or less equal measure with those who do not.

[green77]

Guesthouse

You are right it does all add up for me, but it seems to good to be true, that's the only reason why i'm getting as many opinions as possible.

I have seen a lot of the world and i have lived in several countries, but i have never been to thailand, i'll spend a year there and see how i get on, i have taken some big risks which have payed of to get me in this position, now i want to enjoy my life as much as i can. If it does not work i have another warm country i know i love to fall back on, also i never keep assets where i'm living so i'm always free to move on. I think it all adds up but until i try i'll never no for certain. I'm glad i'm being warned about the pitfalls, and i want to be as prepared as i can be.

[transam]

Guesthouse

You are right it does all add up for me, but it seems to good to be true, that's the only reason why i'm getting as many opinions as possible.

I have seen a lot of the world and i have lived in several countries, but i have never been to thailand, i'll spend a year there and see how i get on, i have taken some big risks which have payed of to get me in this position, now i want to enjoy my life as much as i can. If it does not work i have another warm country i know i love to fall back on, also i never keep assets where i'm living so i'm always free to move on. I think it all adds up but until i try i'll never no for certain. I'm glad i'm being warned about the pitfalls, and i want to be as prepared as i can be.

Good Luck.

[HaruHaru]

Always remember the golden rule for Thailand; never invest more than you are fully prepared to walk away from. A young and self-sufficient man will be a serious target for the young and beautiful girls. This is good as long as you can resist the temptation to marry them, buy them cars, gold, land and build houses upcountry for them and their families.

Amen.

[farang000999]

He already clarified that: -he isn't interested in bringing up children.

Has he had a vasectomy?

[poanoi]

He already clarified that: -he isn't interested in bringing up children.

Has he had a vasectomy?

I think you better take that up in a private discussion with him, seeing how interested you are

[travelmann]

Wow great answers. I think someone hit the nail on the head, i'm at that time of my life where i have to make my decision, do i stay in cold england get married have kids, end up in a sexless marriage or relationship with no control of my life knowing if we split i lose everything, or do i go to thailand have fun and if i get in a relationship i stay in control of my life. Someone asked for more details, well all my assets are outside the uk and not in thailand, and i don't plan on investing in thailand, just living of my offshore income, this way i stay in control and even if i did get married to a thai i'm safe with my assets, and obviously married or not they are kept quiet.

I am in a good position not needing to work but as someone rightly said you will have problems with boredom in the end, although if i took up golf, and i like to swim and stay active anyway, and its cheap enough to eat out everyday, perhaps set up a small business to kill time, has got to be better than being soaking wet freezing cold construction worker which i have been doing most my adult life. I have seen the world, and places like the dom rep are okay for holidays but not modern enough for full time living, south america does not appeal to me really, if it was not thailand it would be spain cyprus places in the med.

Somehting I said Id always do if i had the money was buy a nice big boat and just drift slowly round the world not staying anywhere permanenlty and having the ability to go anywhere

[farang000999]

He already clarified that: -he isn't interested in bringing up children.

Has he had a vasectomy?

I think you better take that up in a private discussion with him, seeing how interested you are

the point remains. many farang come here with limited long term means or plans, reproduce, and get stuck.

[fletchsmile]

Guesthouse

You are right it does all add up for me, but it seems to good to be true, that's the only reason why i'm getting as many opinions as possible.

I have seen a lot of the world and i have lived in several countries, but i have never been to thailand, i'll spend a year there and see how i get on, i have taken some big risks which have payed of to get me in this position, now i want to enjoy my life as much as i can. If it does not work i have another warm country i know i love to fall back on, also i never keep assets where i'm living so i'm always free to move on. I think it all adds up but until i try i'll never no for certain. I'm glad i'm being warned about the pitfalls, and i want to be as prepared as i can be.

If you're only planning to be here a year at first, then probably makes sense to keep your assets outside Thailand.

If/ when you decide to make Thailand your home, then you probably need a rethink. Building some assets here at that stage makes sense to reduce your foreign exchange risk. It was only a couple of years ago, those "wise people" with their golden rules saying "don't invest in Thailand, leave your money in UK etc etc", where your money is safe and you can earn say 6% on cash. What has happened since is the GBP exchange rate has gone against them, interest rates have dropped significantly, and so their income has been hit twice. In some cases it's now less than a third or quarter of what it was for them - and that's not mentioning that the UK doesn't look quite so safe these days US and Euro citizens likewise.

[fletchsmile]

He already clarified that: -he isn't interested in bringing up children.

Has he had a vasectomy?

I think you better take that up in a private discussion with him, seeing how interested you are

the point remains. many farang come here with limited long term means or plans, reproduce, and get stuck.

In my book a vasectomy is the best investment in Thailand. Think about it. 15k at Bumrungrad. School Fees = 300k - 700k a year at international school. 2 kids = 1mio a year. That's an ROI of 6,000%+ per annum, net present value under a free cashflow method would be around THB 20mio ball park, when taking into account other expenses

It's also an occasion to agree with one of the golden rules of don't spread your seeds in Thailand on fertile ground that you can't afford to maintain

[sandgroper2]

Whilst in Thailand you could take advantage of the abundance of English courses, and improve your grammar.

[green77]

Whilst in Thailand you could take advantage of the abundance of English courses, and improve your grammar.

I agree with you my grammar is bad, i don't write to often, but thanks for pointing that out.

[lovelaos]

I had romantic notions of going to the beach everyday, taking my boat out, fishing and relaxing. That lasted only 2 years and I got bored. You will too.

Strangely i had the same idea, but ended up in go-go in just a couple of days, and then stayed there 7 years or so

Also agree don't buy anything that you can't bring to sihanoukville in a heartbeat, but i will also have to agree with another post that Sihanoukville is very slow, especially compared to Pattaya.

I strongly advice against Vientiane, it is extremely boring, and then to top it off the tuk tuk mafia charge 3-4 times as much as a taxi in Pattaya.

In either case: Watch out for the leeches!!!!!!!!!

:cheesy: @ tuk tuk mafia in Vientiane. My brother in law used to be a tuk tuk driver in Vientiane and he swears he can tell when a Farang arriving at the Friendship bridge is coming from Pattaya.

Are you one of them that arrive in Laos mouthing off in Thai with your Chang beer vest on and expect to get superior service?

You should hear what the locals say about you

To the OP, travel around SE Asia and you will see there is more to do/see/experience once the novelty of Thailand has worn off.

Edited December 13, 2011 by lovelaos

[jackr]

Great for a holiday, or a few months on, few off. Living here is a whole 'nother ballgame.

[poanoi]

I had romantic notions of going to the beach everyday, taking my boat out, fishing and relaxing. That lasted only 2 years and I got bored. You will too.

Strangely i had the same idea, but ended up in go-go in just a couple of days, and then stayed there 7 years or so

Also agree don't buy anything that you can't bring to sihanoukville in a heartbeat, but i will also have to agree with another post that Sihanoukville is very slow, especially compared to Pattaya.

I strongly advice against Vientiane, it is extremely boring, and then to top it off the tuk tuk mafia charge 3-4 times as much as a taxi in Pattaya.

In either case: Watch out for the leeches!!!!!!!!!

:cheesy: @ tuk tuk mafia in Vientiane. My brother in law used to be a tuk tuk driver in Vientiane and he swears he can tell when a Farang arriving at the Friendship bridge is coming from Pattaya.

Are you one of them that arrive in Laos mouthing off in Thai with your Chang beer vest on and expect to get superior service?

You should hear what the locals say about you

To the OP, travel around SE Asia and you will see there is more to do/see/experience once the novelty of Thailand has worn off.

I have little doubt what the leeches call me, let me guess "Ki tduydt" (same as ki neao in thai), a form of intimidation to extract more money

No, i do my best to avoid the low life, i take the mini bus unless they say a price that i consider fair.

I do take their offer if the offer is ok before i made it to the mini bus, and the reason is those at the bridge is by far and away better than those in Vientiane

btw how can a tuk-tuk ride be made superior ?

(i dont take their pimp offer if that's what you suggest)

Edited December 14, 2011 by poanoi

[WebBangkok]

I moved here when I was 28 after coming on holidays with my wife for 6 years before that each year. I am 31 now and have been here for 3 years nearly and absolutely love it here.

I wish I could of moved here earlier but I did not have any backup investments back at home, once I secured that which the wife and I worked 7 days a week in Sydney for about 3 or 4 years we finally made the move. I know a lot of young guys around 25 to 35 who live here and love it, some hate it as they let silly things get to them easily and don't think properly when making decisions.

So it is really what type of a guy you are, what do you plan to do here? Don't open a bar or anything that you have never been into before, a lot of people make that mistake. It can pan out but the chances are it won't. Are you prepared to work like you did back at home? Some people have moved here thinking its all about parties, alcohol and girls. It's the case for at least the first year with many people here then reality kicks in that you can't just party all the time.

There is money to be made in Thailand if you think carefully and are patient.

I say move here, after 8 months you will know if Thailand is for you or not.

[JurgenG]

poanai..

re .. At a bare minimum go to Sihanoukville before you have settle down, live at the Serendipity beach,

i'll have to get back on exactly where it was, can't remember and can't find a card

your right .. there are loads of brand new hotels just behind the golden lion roundabout

on seraendipity beach and i year visas are much easier to get : )

dave2 ... thinking to move to cambodia as well !

What is the best way to go to Sihanoukville from Bangkok ? Is now a good time to go there (rainy season ?).

Is there a good book / forum about the place ? I may stay only for few days, I would like to avoid bad experiences as much as possible

[SimonD]

poanai..

re .. At a bare minimum go to Sihanoukville before you have settle down, live at the Serendipity beach,

i'll have to get back on exactly where it was, can't remember and can't find a card

your right .. there are loads of brand new hotels just behind the golden lion roundabout

on seraendipity beach and i year visas are much easier to get : )

dave2 ... thinking to move to cambodia as well !

What is the best way to go to Sihanoukville from Bangkok ? Is now a good time to go there (rainy season ?).

Is there a good book / forum about the place ? I may stay only for few days, I would like to avoid bad experiences as much as possible

There's a TV forum for SEA nations outside Thailand. Best bet from BKK is to fly to PP and then get the bus to Sihanoukville. Go and see a friendly German expat called Ziggy who runs the Oasis Hotel on Ekereach Road in mid-town. It's just round the block from the bus station. Ziggy knows all that is going on there and is a mine of information. Serendipity and Occheutal beaches are ok for entertainment but they're not very clean. IMO the best beach is Otres which is about 6km further south. Victory Hill to the north of town has one soi of beer bars and not much else. Google the Sihanoukville survival guide (available from most bars in town).

For a change of pace check out Kampot further down the coast - a delightful riverside town with some nice foreign bars and restaurants.

Simon

PS: Take plenty of $1, $5 & $10US bills. They're in short supply and you really don't want to walk around with a brick of riel!

Edited December 21, 2011 by SimonD

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Never say never. Stay here as long as you like, travel to other places as well.

First some generic advice, hard-won from an old fart that wish he'd heard (and listened) to it when I was 34:

Put a good spreadsheet together and don't think you can really afford to stop working for a living unless it works with the following assumptions for the long-term.:

You will live to 100

Inflation >8%

Income on capital <4% - sometimes more, sometime nothing.

Your living expenses must include solid generous health insurance (+life +decent tuition fees if you have dependents)

They will go up by 20% - for pure necessities, probably proportionally less discretionary/entertainment every five years.

At least two or three life-threatening medical emergencies that cost six-months living expenses that aren't covered by insurance.

Bottom line - don't spend all your passive income, invest as much as possible back in until you actually get "over the hump", say 65. Being old sucks anyway, being poor and old is the pits.

Even if you can afford to spend 100K per month, learn to live well on 40 and bank the rest - then you can have the occasional splurge on an overseas trip, or setting your honey up in a little business with money you would otherwise already have spent on normal living expenses.

The ideal situation would be to take advantage of your free time to develop your skills and marketability in a field that you actually enjoy - IOW find something you'd do for fun for free that people are willing to pay you for. Even if it's a pittance, it will keep your brain active, your confidence high and the respect of others. Nothing sadder to me than someone without meaningful goals in life, just having "fun" gets pretty old fast.

Now some stuff specific to Thailand (or any other country with large sectors of the economy based on pretty young things systematically scamming money from horny old guys)

Learn the language, and unless you want all the challenges and headaches the women back home offer, avoid girls that can speak English like the plague. As quickly as possible, stop associating with any people or places tied up in the scamming trade, don't live in the usual farang ghettos, don't get involved in anything dodgy or that competes with anyone's rice bowl.

Don't get tied down with one girl, no matter how good things seem, they only get worse once she starts feeling secure. Don't pay out more in the expectation that you'll start getting more, it works the other way.

I recommend setting up some sort of context where you are the big shot boss, employ them in a capacity where you get decent return on investment (not expecting to actually get rich though), and give extra "presents and tips" to the ones you bonk.

Do NOT bring your money in-country other than the minimum you need for say 3-6 months at a time. Do NOT "invest" in the country or put anything in a girl's name - unless you are consciously giving it away as a bonus for services already rendered. Remember and accept that it usually costs more to make them go away than it did to entice them to come, unless you figure out how to make them want to leave you (always the best strategy). Once you find out what things are really worth, don't try to be too cheap, be willing to be generous when it's deserved - but always be on your guard against the scams, even if you've known her for ten years. Do NOT let yourself "fall in love" to the point where you make decisions that threaten your financial security.

Keep a very low-key lifestyle - the maids, security guards, the neighbors and shopkeepers, people in the market and selling in the street will all know your business and talk about you, and anybody getting to know you in that context will hear all about everything.

I'd actually advise having a bonking flat some distance from your actual residence, and only let girls you've been happy with for over six months or so set foot in the door of the latter.

OK that's enough for now. . .

[BigJohnnyBKK]

In my book a vasectomy is the best investment in Thailand. Think about it. 15k at Bumrungrad. School Fees = 300k - 700k a year at international school. 2 kids = 1mio a year. That's an ROI of 6,000%+ per annum, net present value under a free cashflow method would be around THB 20mio ball park, when taking into account other expenses

It's also an occasion to agree with one of the golden rules of don't spread your seeds in Thailand on fertile ground that you can't afford to maintain

The clinic at Condoms and Cabbages is free even for farang, including the follow up test.

Brings the return on investment calculation up to infinity and beyond!

Unfortunately I closed the gate after the horse go out, but god forbid I ever call my two beautiful kids a mistake, they're not best thing ever happened to me, worth every crimp in the lifestyle.

And when my grandkids from my first family come to visit they help babysit. . .

[lovelaos]

Never say never. Stay here as long as you like, travel to other places as well.

First some generic advice, hard-won from an old fart that wish he'd heard (and listened) to it when I was 34:

Put a good spreadsheet together and don't think you can really afford to stop working for a living unless it works with the following assumptions for the long-term.:

You will live to 100

Inflation >8%

Income on capital <4% - sometimes more, sometime nothing.

Your living expenses must include solid generous health insurance (+life +decent tuition fees if you have dependents)

They will go up by 20% - for pure necessities, probably proportionally less discretionary/entertainment every five years.

At least two or three life-threatening medical emergencies that cost six-months living expenses that aren't covered by insurance.

Bottom line - don't spend all your passive income, invest as much as possible back in until you actually get "over the hump", say 65. Being old sucks anyway, being poor and old is the pits.

Even if you can afford to spend 100K per month, learn to live well on 40 and bank the rest - then you can have the occasional splurge on an overseas trip, or setting your honey up in a little business with money you would otherwise already have spent on normal living expenses.

The ideal situation would be to take advantage of your free time to develop your skills and marketability in a field that you actually enjoy - IOW find something you'd do for fun for free that people are willing to pay you for. Even if it's a pittance, it will keep your brain active, your confidence high and the respect of others. Nothing sadder to me than someone without meaningful goals in life, just having "fun" gets pretty old fast.

Now some stuff specific to Thailand (or any other country with large sectors of the economy based on pretty young things systematically scamming money from horny old guys)

Learn the language, and unless you want all the challenges and headaches the women back home offer, avoid girls that can speak English like the plague. As quickly as possible, stop associating with any people or places tied up in the scamming trade, don't live in the usual farang ghettos, don't get involved in anything dodgy or that competes with anyone's rice bowl.

Don't get tied down with one girl, no matter how good things seem, they only get worse once she starts feeling secure. Don't pay out more in the expectation that you'll start getting more, it works the other way.

I recommend setting up some sort of context where you are the big shot boss, employ them in a capacity where you get decent return on investment (not expecting to actually get rich though), and give extra "presents and tips" to the ones you bonk.

Do NOT bring your money in-country other than the minimum you need for say 3-6 months at a time. Do NOT "invest" in the country or put anything in a girl's name - unless you are consciously giving it away as a bonus for services already rendered. Remember and accept that it usually costs more to make them go away than it did to entice them to come, unless you figure out how to make them want to leave you (always the best strategy). Once you find out what things are really worth, don't try to be too cheap, be willing to be generous when it's deserved - but always be on your guard against the scams, even if you've known her for ten years. Do NOT let yourself "fall in love" to the point where you make decisions that threaten your financial security.

Keep a very low-key lifestyle - the maids, security guards, the neighbors and shopkeepers, people in the market and selling in the street will all know your business and talk about you, and anybody getting to know you in that context will hear all about everything.

I'd actually advise having a bonking flat some distance from your actual residence, and only let girls you've been happy with for over six months or so set foot in the door of the latter.

OK that's enough for now. . .

some good advice there^.