If You Had Your Time Again......

[theblether]

If you had your time again....what would you do different in Thailand?

If you had to give a newbie to Thailand one piece of advice.....what would it be?

Ps, re the advice, before anyone says don't listen to theblether, I know already :-)

Edited May 30, 2012 by theblether

[cooked]

I would spend a week or two on Sukhumit before letting my wife to be that I was in Thailand.

[Bangkokhatter]

Why do you start interesting posts at this time of night ? can i reply in the morning

[SimonD]

Nothing.

My experiences in Thailand have been one long happy accident - no regrets.

[MrRealDeal]

I guess I would have bought my flipflops sooner.

My advice would be that it's a culture of negotiating, and the only person to blame if you pay to much is yourself , If you don't want to pay 120 bht for a beer offer them 60 or walk , read the menu BEFORE you order your coke or anything else or don't cry about it later. It's buyer beware all day everyday and it's bartering pretty much anywhere, even places like home pro will give ya something just for the asking, so don't blame the seller because you paid to much or forgot to ask for a discount or didn't even bother to barter a better price............................... Don't worry they will have another stall selling CD's or T-shirts down the road.

[theblether]

Why do you start interesting posts at this time of night ? can i reply in the morning

Sorry, yes you sure can :-)

[LucidLucifer]

I wouldn't have spent two years in a small provicial town in the south. It was good for the first year, but only the lure of a payrise kept me down there for a second. It really did drag.

[NanLaew]

So this is a two question survey?

For the first question regarding what I would do different, I would not have come here in the first place... but I digress. I would have married the first lady I dated. She is now a Khunying or ML-something in the hyper-strata of Bangkok. Not hi-so or anything close, just way, way beyond anything that any TV'er claims to be shagging nightly.

For the second question regarding advice to the noob, barfine #24 at Mandarin Table Dance Bar in NEP. You'll thank me for it.

[smokie36]

I wouldn't have wasted so much of my time lying in a hammock!

For the newbies....be far more wary of expats than the Thais.

[GuestHouse]

I did have my time again.

I came here the first time for three years, finished my job and left to go live and work somewhere else.

Then after three years I came back to work here again.

The second time I came back I started afresh but with my previous experience of living here in my back pocket. Guys who had stayed on were still in the same rut I'd left them in three years earlier.

An absence was indeed a good thing, a chance to throw out the old and bring in the new.

This experience was repeated again (now I'm on my fifth posting here) - Always good to leave and come back fresh.

[Sharp]

I wouldn't have wasted so much of my time lying in a hammock!

For the newbies....be far more wary of expats than the Thais.

Don't have a hammock but totally agree with the expats point be very wary , I for one try my hardest not to mix with to many expats and work round the Thai,s trying to rip u off but all in all keep yourself to yourself best ya can minimise any dealings with Thai,s and u will enjoy it it here ,for me I live by these rules and don't want to live anywhere else .......

[Rsquared]

If I had my time again, I would learn to read, write and speak Thai as soon as I could, then now I would be able to do it.

For the newbie, don't fall in love with the first girl you get in the sack. Be like a kid in a lolly shop, try everything and of couse as stated above, learn the lingo.

[LucidLucifer]

If I had my time again, I would learn to read, write and speak Thai as soon as I could, then now I would be able to do it.

Good point, it's something I wish i'd made more of an effort to do. I have a basic knowledge, I can order what I want and get where I need to go. I know lots of words, mostly nouns, but pretty much all the sentences I say have been rote learnt.

[Payboy]

If you had to give a newbie to Thailand one piece of advice.....what would it be?

Bring half the clothes and twice the money.

[Bangkokhatter]

Learning the language and keep at it is good advice. I started too late and gave up too easily, and still find silly reasons not to start lessons again.

Another one would be do not under estimate your worth. I was so eager to take up the chance of employment i probably undersold myself and accepted too low a salary. Making up for it now though.

I would add i don't understand this aversion to other ex-pats, just take as you find and trust your instincts

[TommoPhysicist]

I've had the best time of my life, ever, since I came to Thailand.

Can't think of a single thing I would change after coming here.

If I could go back, maybe I would come here a few years earlier.

Advice for NooBs

Don't buy her a house, don't give her an 'allowance'.

Be wary of women who speak English.

Edited May 31, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[thequietman]

I would have married a much younger woman,.same bullshit but easier on the eye. on second thoughts, I wouldnt have got married.

I would have worked 3 more years before coming to Thailand.

I would have learned more about Cambodia and Vietnam and others to avoid this visa bullshit.

I would have sowed my oats more, alot more.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[cdnmatt]

Wouldn't have hooked up with a poverty sticken, uneducated rice farmer. My rationale at the time was already been married to a farang, and ended up getting screwed quite badly, plus had my heart put through a grinder. So this time around I wanted simple, pure, raw, unadultered, unconditional love, from someone who hasn't been corrupted by modern society, and doesn't carry that societal baggage with them. (eg. rice farmers don't tend to have a 10 point checklist, and aren't yuppies who think shoe color is important). And I definitely found that without question, so that's good. However, I didn't really understand what I was getting myself into either.

Just the sheer apathy, laziness, and lack of ambition from so many people around here amazes me. Yet, they have no problem complaining they're poor. Then loads of people have this notion that I have money simply because I have white skin, which pisses me off. No... it has nothing to do with me being white. It has to do with me working 16 hours/day, teaching myself the needed skills, putting myself through loads of stress, etc. If I only worked 15 - 20 hours/month, I'd probably be pretty poor too. For example, I just finished teaching myself linear algebra using MIT lectures and course material, which are available for free on the internet. Granted, English is my native language, but that barrier is easily overcome by anyone who has the ambition.

That type of thing just aggravates me nowadays. They just simply do not care, and have no ambition to make anything of themselves. Then their decision making process is another thing that just leaves me completely dumbfounded, but I won't even go there. If I knew what I knew now, I would have never moved to Issan, and probably never entered the 3 year relationship I'm currently in. I would have probably stayed within SE Asia (or maybe South America), or maybe even just moved to somewhere like Krabi or Chiang Mai. Wouldn't have came to Issan though.

Edited May 31, 2012 by cdnmatt

[pipo1000]

Wouldn't have hooked up with a poverty sticken, uneducated rice farmer. My rationale at the time was already been married to a farang, and ended up getting screwed quite badly, plus had my heart put through a grinder. So this time around I wanted simple, pure, raw, unadultered, unconditional love, from someone who hasn't been corrupted by modern society, and doesn't carry that societal baggage with them. (eg. rice farmers don't tend to have a 10 point checklist, and aren't yuppies who think shoe color is important). And I definitely found that without question, so that's good. However, I didn't really understand what I was getting myself into either.

Just the sheer apathy, laziness, and lack of ambition from so many people around here amazes me. Yet, they have no problem complaining they're poor. Then loads of people have this notion that I have money simply because I have white skin, which pisses me off. No... it has nothing to do with me being white. It has to do with me working 16 hours/day, teaching myself the needed skills, putting myself through loads of stress, etc. If I only worked 15 - 20 hours/month, I'd probably be pretty poor too. For example, I just finished teaching myself linear algebra using MIT lectures and course material, which are available for free on the internet. Granted, English is my native language, but that barrier is easily overcome by anyone who has the ambition.

That type of thing just aggravates me nowadays. They just simply do not care, and have no ambition to make anything of themselves. Then their decision making process is another thing that just leaves me completely dumbfounded, but I won't even go there. If I knew what I knew now, I would have never moved to Issan, and probably never entered the 3 year relationship I'm currently in. I would have probably stayed within SE Asia (or maybe South America), or maybe even just moved to somewhere like Krabi or Chiang Mai. Wouldn't have came to Issan though.

Are you sure you're not posting in the wrong thread and your post was meant for

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/557718-my-thai-lady-is-lovely/

[cdnmatt]

No, the OP asked what would have done differently? I wouldn't have moved to Issan.

[chickenslegs]

Wouldn't have hooked up with a poverty sticken, uneducated rice farmer. My rationale at the time was already been married to a farang, and ended up getting screwed quite badly, plus had my heart put through a grinder. So this time around I wanted simple, pure, raw, unadultered, unconditional love, from someone who hasn't been corrupted by modern society, and doesn't carry that societal baggage with them. (eg. rice farmers don't tend to have a 10 point checklist, and aren't yuppies who think shoe color is important). And I definitely found that without question, so that's good. However, I didn't really understand what I was getting myself into either.

Just the sheer apathy, laziness, and lack of ambition from so many people around here amazes me. Yet, they have no problem complaining they're poor. Then loads of people have this notion that I have money simply because I have white skin, which pisses me off. No... it has nothing to do with me being white. It has to do with me working 16 hours/day, teaching myself the needed skills, putting myself through loads of stress, etc. If I only worked 15 - 20 hours/month, I'd probably be pretty poor too. For example, I just finished teaching myself linear algebra using MIT lectures and course material, which are available for free on the internet. Granted, English is my native language, but that barrier is easily overcome by anyone who has the ambition.

That type of thing just aggravates me nowadays. They just simply do not care, and have no ambition to make anything of themselves. Then their decision making process is another thing that just leaves me completely dumbfounded, but I won't even go there. If I knew what I knew now, I would have never moved to Issan, and probably never entered the 3 year relationship I'm currently in. I would have probably stayed within SE Asia (or maybe South America), or maybe even just moved to somewhere like Krabi or Chiang Mai. Wouldn't have came to Issan though.

Are you sure you're not posting in the wrong thread and your post was meant for

http://www.thaivisa....lady-is-lovely/

No, the OP asked what would have done differently? I wouldn't have moved to Issan.

I think Mr Pipo was employing 'irony'.

[jingjoe8]

i wouldn't of spent as much time in pattaya,i can't believe i used to ring my mates up at home bragging about the beautiful girl i "picked up" at the bar last night...who was i kidding...

[DrTuner]

Nothing. Enjoy. Got more questions ?

[YipYipYa123]

If i could do it all again ..........i would have wore more condoms

[jackinbkk]

I'm really happy with where I have ended up in my life right now but I doubt i'd do things the same way again. Things will never be perfect. It's good we never know whats coming up or we'd probably just give up.

I was just thinking today about a quote I heard. I can't remember where I read it. It was when someone interviewed an extremely rich old man. When interviewed he said he'd trade all his wealth just to be young again. Time really is something to be velued. It can't be bought for any amount of money.

[nocturn]

I've had the best time of my life, ever, since I came to Thailand.

Can't think of a single thing I would change after coming here.

If I could go back, maybe I would come here a few years earlier.

Advice for NooBs

Don't buy her a house, don't give her an 'allowance'.

Be wary of women who speak English.

i would say quite the opposite.

certainly beware women who speak pidgin in a scouse accent, or regularly use words like kaput and innit, but unless your thai is fluent, or very near it, find a woman who speaks your language well because she has studied it, uses it daily in a professional context or has studied abroad.

Edited May 31, 2012 by nocturn

[pastitche]

When we bought the car, it had of course to be blessed by an abbot. Being very important and obviously psychic he could tell that I had previously (in another existence) been in Thailand and in a relationship with a Thai woman but I had to go back to Farangland,while promising to return. Apparently she is/was still waiting for me......

I hope that it was the present wife in her previous incarnation. If it works that way I want her next time around.

[MrRealDeal]

Why on Earth would you be wary of all women who speak english ? All University graduates on your list or just the english speaking hookers ? I would guess the problem has more to do with hookers than english speaking Thai's.

Nocturn you do you they use english in Thai Universitys don't you ? My point being they don't need to study abroad to lean it in College or University

Edited May 31, 2012 by MrRealDeal

[theblether]

When we bought the car, it had of course to be blessed by an abbot. Being very important and obviously psychic he could tell that I had previously (in another existence) been in Thailand and in a relationship with a Thai woman but I had to go back to Farangland,while promising to return. Apparently she is/was still waiting for me......

I hope that it was the present wife in her previous incarnation. If it works that way I want her next time around.

Fabulous, just fabulous

[TommoPhysicist]

Why on Earth would you be wary of all women who speak english ? All University graduates on your list or just the english speaking hookers ? I would guess the problem has more to do with hookers than english speaking Thai's.

Strangely, Thai university graduates with degrees in English, usually can't speak English at all. My kids Thai English teacher can't speak a word of English. Hookers usually speak much better English than University graduates. Also Internet scammers often speak good English. Thai girls that speak English have usually worked in the sex industry or previously been married to a foreign guy (same really). I don't want a Thai lady that has been 'corrupted' by previous foreigners and their weak ways.

Some guys I know have just imported 600 Filipinos into CM to work in a sales call center. When I asked them why they didn't use Thais, the reply was, they couldn't find any Thais with good enough English skills to work there.

Edited June 1, 2012 by TommoPhysicist