How Do They Do It?

[crudy21]

I know a guy, infact i know a few but this one in particular has never left Thailand for at least 15 years.

Never got any money, always pleading poverty but seems to manage to drink plenty. I mean how does he manage without a passport, what would happen if became ill or arrested for something?

I know he has a Thai lady who must support him, how else would he manage to live? Sad existence maybe and certainly not for me but he seems happy enough.

[Rimmer]

Not specific to Pattaya, I'll move the topic to General for a better audience

[crudy21]

Not specific to Pattaya, I'll move the topic to General for a better audience

Sorry i should have metioned that they all seem to live in the Soi Buakhao area.

[CharlieH]

Live and let live.

[dean999]

Maybe he is a liar. I have met quite a few of them too.

I'm ex-SAS did you know.

[ShodomonRules]

Where I used to live, there was this guy from Norway (country changed to protect the guilty), he showed up on my beach one day, not a word of Thai, two plus years overstay, no money, I mean, no money, and no change of clothes.

Nice guy, actually. Good conversationalist, intelligent.

Sleeps one night with the sand fleas, he gets "work" the next day with some locals. Cleans the beach every morning (in LOS, not as easy as it sounds, but usually three hours), gets two squares, and a room--well, a shed. But the SOB is happy as a pig in poop. The other expats buy him beer, sometimes more food. He eats, he swims, he digs his toes in the sand, watches every sunset. No bills, no debts, no obligations. No car to repair, no insurance to pay.

Immigration eats lunch at the same restaurant once a week. Never a second look at him.

I envy him.

[GuestHouse]

The someway as guys living here full time on end to end tourist visas or educational visas (To learn a language they can't speak after years of 'study') - They do so by breaking the law.

[chops]

Pretty hard to run out of money here if you are absolutely determined to stay. 100 baht a day is possible. Plus you have to figure in handouts and working under the table.

[edwinchester]

Where I used to live, there was this guy from Norway (country changed to protect the guilty), he showed up on my beach one day, not a word of Thai, two plus years overstay, no money, I mean, no money, and no change of clothes.

Nice guy, actually. Good conversationalist, intelligent.

Sleeps one night with the sand fleas, he gets "work" the next day with some locals. Cleans the beach every morning (in LOS, not as easy as it sounds, but usually three hours), gets two squares, and a room--well, a shed. But the SOB is happy as a pig in poop. The other expats buy him beer, sometimes more food. He eats, he swims, he digs his toes in the sand, watches every sunset. No bills, no debts, no obligations. No car to repair, no insurance to pay.

Immigration eats lunch at the same restaurant once a week. Never a second look at him.

I envy him.

I dont.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[tombkk]

The someway as guys living here full time on end to end tourist visas or educational visas (To learn a language they can't speak after years of 'study') - They do so by breaking the law.

We don't know his visa situation, but it sounds likely that he is in violence of the law.

He seems to be living off people who are willing to give.

In Europe, many people choose to not work (I know a few - I also know people who want to work but can't fimd a job, I don't mean those). They live off society as a whole, which is not the case with the man you mention.

How does he do it? Well, it requires a certain mindset. You have or you don't, I guess. I personally don't envy him, but that's just me.

[Travel2003]

Maybe he is a liar. I have met quite a few of them too.

I'm ex-SAS did you know.

Yes I recognize you from a flight a few years ago.

Your service was excellent.

[Beetlejuice]

I would grass him up.

Better for him, better for us.

[edwinclapham]

I would grass him up.

Better for him, better for us.

Why would you want to do that? Would it give you immense satisfaction seeing the guy handcuffed and carried off to some detention centre with no hope of paying off his overstaying fine? Is this what you would class "better for him"?

Seriously sad when people take the moralistic view for something so trivial imo!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Interesting topic.. I 'Liked' the post about the guy just showing up at a beach and living there on basically nothing. I liked it as a post, but do not envy him and would also not recommend it to anyone else. A bit of a neo-hippie sentiment perhaps.

If more people overstayed then you would likely see more police interest.. Can you say 'police razzia at Soi Bua Khao'. Not sure that's something I look forward too.

[theblether]

I wonder if 'digging toes in sand, watching every sunset' is a new visa category. If so, form a queue to the left, I'm first.

It takes all sorts to make the world, and accepting that this guy is most likely in violation of visa requirements, in the pantheon of criminal offences in his case it looks low.

You never know what this guy may do in the future, maybe there is a Pulitzer prize novel waiting to burst out of him.

There is a more sinister level of overstaying, the sponging malcontents that hang around looking for good hearted victims. I won't bore you with the description, you see them every day.

I have zero empathy for them, these are the same guys that walk into bars penniless all over the world and shamelessly sponge, and when they get a bit of money, they disappear.

Grass them up? No, give them the time of day? No chance.

Everywhere you go in the world you get people that fall off the norm of society, in as much as I understand that they may affect visa policy in Thailand, they are a minimal problem in the scheme of things.

So I say live and let live, but they won't be living out of my pocket.

The other category, the self funding overstayers, I couldn't care less, if they want to risk being jailed and deported every day then up to them. We all know that if you leave yourself susceptible in Thailand bad things can happen, and these people are doing exactly that. I don't wish ill on them, but equally I don't want to hear their pathetic squeals when they get caught.

When I retire and find my rainbow, I want to know it's my rainbow and I can keep it. So I will be staying on the right side of the law.

Edited April 3, 2012 by theblether

[chrisinth]

Maybe he is a liar. I have met quite a few of them too.

I'm ex-SAS did you know.

Ex-SES I've heard................ (Seldom ever Sober)...........

EDIT: Loved that reply from Travel2003 ref. the SAS:

"Yes I recognize you from a flight a few years ago.

Your service was excellent."

Edited April 3, 2012 by chrisinth

[Berkshire]

Where I used to live, there was this guy from Norway (country changed to protect the guilty), he showed up on my beach one day, not a word of Thai, two plus years overstay, no money, I mean, no money, and no change of clothes.

Nice guy, actually. Good conversationalist, intelligent.

Sleeps one night with the sand fleas, he gets "work" the next day with some locals. Cleans the beach every morning (in LOS, not as easy as it sounds, but usually three hours), gets two squares, and a room--well, a shed. But the SOB is happy as a pig in poop. The other expats buy him beer, sometimes more food. He eats, he swims, he digs his toes in the sand, watches every sunset. No bills, no debts, no obligations. No car to repair, no insurance to pay.

Immigration eats lunch at the same restaurant once a week. Never a second look at him.

I envy him.

Envy him? I'd imagine you're saying that in jest. Because anyone can do as this guy's doing, yourself included. Ever heard the Janis Joplin song...."Freedom's just another word, for nothing left to lose." Or Dylan..."When you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose." I'm sure there are homeless guys the world over who subscribe to this attitude/lifestyle.

[DP25]

I would grass him up.

Better for him, better for us.

I'm sure the local cops know, they just don't care. Unless he commits a crime they probably aren't interested. Locking him up isn't better for him or better for us. No one in power cares about some random farang tramp, it doesn't make life harder for us. They care about what foreigners with money are doing, about criminals, tax dodgers, and illegal workers.

[brit1984]

Where I used to live, there was this guy from Norway (country changed to protect the guilty), he showed up on my beach one day, not a word of Thai, two plus years overstay, no money, I mean, no money, and no change of clothes.

Nice guy, actually. Good conversationalist, intelligent.

Sleeps one night with the sand fleas, he gets "work" the next day with some locals. Cleans the beach every morning (in LOS, not as easy as it sounds, but usually three hours), gets two squares, and a room--well, a shed. But the SOB is happy as a pig in poop. The other expats buy him beer, sometimes more food. He eats, he swims, he digs his toes in the sand, watches every sunset. No bills, no debts, no obligations. No car to repair, no insurance to pay.

Immigration eats lunch at the same restaurant once a week. Never a second look at him.

I envy him.

Do you also envy stray dogs?

[92302]

I would grass him up.

I can't believe you actually typed that on a forum. This ladies and gents is a reflection of ones true character.

Edited April 3, 2012 by 92302

[IanForbes]

Interesting topic.. I 'Liked' the post about the guy just showing up at a beach and living there on basically nothing. I liked it as a post, but do not envy him and would also not recommend it to anyone else. A bit of a neo-hippie sentiment perhaps.

If more people overstayed then you would likely see more police interest.. Can you say 'police razzia at Soi Bua Khao'. Not sure that's something I look forward too.

I would agree with Winnie. These folks are pretty harmless... sad, but harmless. It's not a lot different than the mountain tribe people who bring their children into town to beg. As a tourist or legal expat you have the CHOICE to ignore these sad people. There are social misfits all over the world and they live off the largess of others. In Canada we have a goverment subsidized social system to pay for these misfits. The 38 year old son of my second wife is a sociopath and he has not held a job for as long as I've known him. He is a fantastic artist but doesn't sell enough to survive on anything other than government handouts.

The real problem for these farang misfits in Thailand is going to come when they get too old and sick to take care of themselves. Thailand isn't going to be so pleasant for them then .

[longstebe]

It does make you think how one can do it. Just not my cup of tea to be in his situation, ever.

[pattayadingo]

Live and let - exist. He is existing, not living as we understand it. Yet he may be happy in his own way.

Grass him up? Whatever for. I think that makes a person a whole lot worse than some tramp like guy living his own existence.

[scorecard]

Where I used to live, there was this guy from Norway (country changed to protect the guilty), he showed up on my beach one day, not a word of Thai, two plus years overstay, no money, I mean, no money, and no change of clothes.

Nice guy, actually. Good conversationalist, intelligent.

Sleeps one night with the sand fleas, he gets "work" the next day with some locals. Cleans the beach every morning (in LOS, not as easy as it sounds, but usually three hours), gets two squares, and a room--well, a shed. But the SOB is happy as a pig in poop. The other expats buy him beer, sometimes more food. He eats, he swims, he digs his toes in the sand, watches every sunset. No bills, no debts, no obligations. No car to repair, no insurance to pay.

Immigration eats lunch at the same restaurant once a week. Never a second look at him.

I envy him.

Another but different example. Farang lives in Pattaya in very small cheap room, gets a very small pension form his home country, about 62 / 64 years old, has overstayed for many many years.

Needs a top up to survive. Travels by mocyle taxi to Nth Pattaya bus station very early every morning then in Bkk walks an hour to the language school where he teaches for a couple of hours per day, gets paid a pittance, no work permit, travels back to Pattaya every evening. Six days a week.

His total income goes on cheap small room, cheap travel and very basic food and he has perhaps 5 small bottles of beer a month, he's poorly dressed. He's happy.

But he knows well that he could lose his job at any time and he says he has no reserve whatever for sickness etc

Edited April 3, 2012 by scorecard

[ShodomonRules]

Where I used to live, there was this guy from Norway (country changed to protect the guilty), he showed up on my beach one day, not a word of Thai, two plus years overstay, no money, I mean, no money, and no change of clothes.

Nice guy, actually. Good conversationalist, intelligent.

Sleeps one night with the sand fleas, he gets "work" the next day with some locals. Cleans the beach every morning (in LOS, not as easy as it sounds, but usually three hours), gets two squares, and a room--well, a shed. But the SOB is happy as a pig in poop. The other expats buy him beer, sometimes more food. He eats, he swims, he digs his toes in the sand, watches every sunset. No bills, no debts, no obligations. No car to repair, no insurance to pay.

Immigration eats lunch at the same restaurant once a week. Never a second look at him.

I envy him.

Do you also envy stray dogs?

Yes, that is, if you know any stray dogs who were respected investigative journalists in their home country and have an IQ higher than yours; have a calm, considerate demaeanor and can discuss virtually any subject in depth, and chose to lead the life they're leading.

My dog's pretty smart, as a matter of fact, but she doesn't know a sunset from a tuna fish.

Norway is all of the above.

Edited April 3, 2012 by ShodomonRules

[crudy21]

Oh, you know this fella to eh?

[NancyL]

Most of these overstayers can manage for quite a long time, but as soon as they become ill, have an accident, get into a barfight, develop early stage dementia -- well, then paradise isn't so welcoming. Sand in the toes every sunset isn't much help when you're sick or can't remember the name of your family members who could be called for help.

Unfortunately, most of these guys (and 99% are guys) have burned (and nuked) their bridges back to their home countries so bad that their embassies are met with derision when they call family members for help.

Why, oh why, do people think they'll continue to live with bodies as fit as they were at age 30 and then they'll just suddenly die in their sleep at age 80. It doesn't work that way. For most of these guys, the years between age 70 and 80 are going to be hell on earth.

[IanForbes]

Why, oh why, do people think they'll continue to live with bodies as fit as they were at age 30 and then they'll just suddenly die in their sleep at age 80. It doesn't work that way. For most of these guys, the years between age 70 and 80 are going to be hell on earth.

Too true, Nancy. I'm 72 and a realist. I can still function very well "right now", but I know my time is coming soon. Both my parents died in their mid eighties so I figure I've only got 10 years left at best... and, only if I can keep my motorbike the shiny side up. In Canada the aged usually spend their final year in the hospital waiting to die. In Thailand it's usually the immediate family that takes care of elderly in their final years. But, if you are an elderly farang in Thailand with little funds and no family then the future is pretty bleek.

[KeyserSoze01]

When a person approaches their senior years they need to plan for long-term care. Someone to take care of them on a day-by-day basis. In the west this type of care is prohibitively expensive unless you have very good health care insurance or a LTC policy. In Thailand, or other countries for that matter, hiring this type of care is much less expensive for those on a budget. The quality of care may not be to the standards in the west, but we all have to make choices based how deep our pockets are.

Then there is the category of foreigner that marries a resident and starts a new life in Thailand. Often with a larger age gap than is deemed reasonable in the west. The foreigner gains the benefit of a mate and most likely an extended family. The family receives the benefits of the foreigners assets. Is it moral by western standards? Who cares. Each is getting what they want / need and are hurting no one. The only hope is that the foreigner lives a long life and dies of natural causes.

Edited April 3, 2012 by KeyserSoze01

[mcp]

People often end up on the streets or beach because they have suffered a great trauma in thier lives and can no longer fit in to a "normal" life style .

Wars or conflicts produce a lot of Trauma victims.......spare a thought as to why...........