The Positive Ex-Pats..........

[jacktrip]

Me.................. ..............................

There are lots of us around but mostly living with out Thai families away from the farang ghettos that just get on with life in Thailand.

If you want to find us you have to travel and we are even found on TVF butnot on the big forums.

Look for threads on rural life, farming and topics like that then read what is put there. Most of us don't give a rats about big cities and how "I was ripped off by a taxi/tuktuk/jetski/motorcycle etc".

We find much more interesting things to do than whine that I can only buy 6 bottles of beer at a time, only 2 packs of cigarettes (that was me) etc.

Life is there for the living and for enjoyment. Go do it as you are a long time dead.

If you make a mistake or screw up, learn from it and don't do it again.

why don't you drink something nutritious like milk, instead of carrying piss water home to your family, then smoking them to death?

[473geo]

Interesting thread, one thing about Thailand I enjoy is the attitude of Thai people that today is another day.....very little ruminating about what might have been...I think the 'live for today' attitude has many attributes, even if forward planning is left to the side on occasion. The eternal optimism of some Thai ,no matter their situation, is refreshing. I try to adapt but admit to having a eye on the future......through necessity

[David48]

I like the ex-pats who know that backgammon isn't a type of bacon.

Now you are talking oh pointy one.

I'm <deleted> at Scrabble 'cause I can't spell, but Backgammon ...

[TwoDogz]

I like the ex-pats who know that backgammon isn't a type of bacon.

Now you are talking oh pointy one.

I'm <deleted> at Scrabble 'cause I can't spell, but Backgammon ...

I like cakes.

[transam]

Me.................. ..............................

There are lots of us around but mostly living with out Thai families away from the farang ghettos that just get on with life in Thailand.

If you want to find us you have to travel and we are even found on TVF butnot on the big forums.

Look for threads on rural life, farming and topics like that then read what is put there. Most of us don't give a rats about big cities and how "I was ripped off by a taxi/tuktuk/jetski/motorcycle etc".

We find much more interesting things to do than whine that I can only buy 6 bottles of beer at a time, only 2 packs of cigarettes (that was me) etc.

Life is there for the living and for enjoyment. Go do it as you are a long time dead.

If you make a mistake or screw up, learn from it and don't do it again.

why don't you drink something nutritious like milk, instead of carrying piss water home to your family, then smoking them to death?

Eh, have l missed something here. Explain your post, just for me.

[TwoDogz]

Me.................. ..............................

There are lots of us around but mostly living with out Thai families away from the farang ghettos that just get on with life in Thailand.

If you want to find us you have to travel and we are even found on TVF butnot on the big forums.

Look for threads on rural life, farming and topics like that then read what is put there. Most of us don't give a rats about big cities and how "I was ripped off by a taxi/tuktuk/jetski/motorcycle etc".

We find much more interesting things to do than whine that I can only buy 6 bottles of beer at a time, only 2 packs of cigarettes (that was me) etc.

Life is there for the living and for enjoyment. Go do it as you are a long time dead.

If you make a mistake or screw up, learn from it and don't do it again.

why don't you drink something nutritious like milk, instead of carrying piss water home to your family, then smoking them to death?

Eh, have l missed something here. Explain your post, just for me.

I think for the majority.

[chiangmaikelly]

her her,, well said that man,

ive allways been drawn towards elder folk, when i was a lad i used to take my self of to the alotments to meat farrow brothers tom and george, my son in england is named after them,

they were the best pigeon fanciers for a long way round our way, but i used to love listening to there stories, about what they did in the war, allsorts, you dont get many carictors nowadays,

good on yeh mate, you keep enjoying there company, because i bet they enjoy yours, they love a good listener,,,

jake

Same here, old people are a joy to listen to. I love their stories and their old time values. If I had to pick a downside, it would be the fact that they repeat themselves alot or they forget they told you that story last week. still, a small price to pay for interesting conversation.

Why would you have to pick a downside? Is there some rule on Thai Visa that states one can't say anything positive without a matching negative statement?

[theblether]

I met a guy in CM who was heading out to a Buddhist jungle retreat......the guy was about 70. He intended spending a couple of months reading Buddhist scriptures.

He told me the last time he did it he got to the point where the local wildlife ignored him, he was just part of the furniture.

Whimsical? Maybe......good story over a coffee? Certainly.

Wrapping up against the cold on a winters day? Or heading to a Jungle retreat........if I'm spared at aged 70 I know what I would prefer.

[TwoDogz]

Yeah...wrapping up on a cold winters day, sipping steaming lattes on trendy sidewalk cafes, slipping up to the slopes for some snow capped frivolities......or reading scriptures for 18 hours a day for 2 months till so comatose that the wildlife even cocked their legs on me......I know which I would be choosing too blether.

[chonabot]

I think I'm a positive expat, although I am Teaching at a Government school.

60 in most of my classes and not an ac unit in sight

I've lived in Malaysia, South Africa,India and Singapore plus the old country - but Thailand is my favourite place.

Since working as a teacher I have gained an insight into the Thai way of thinking - well at least the way 14-16 year olds think.

I'm pretty sure most of them carry that thought process with them into adulthood.

Expat Teachers get a bad press and having met a few dodgy ones I can see why, but I'm enjoying this career far more than 20 plus years of Unix Admin for 10 times the salary.

Here's to the positive ones

[Cobalt60]

I spend half my time in UK and half in Thailand, I only read 50% of what's posted myself.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

[theblether]

I think banzai has wandered into the wrong thread.....someone should explain the word positive to him.

[JcCarlin]

I like the ex-pats who know that backgammon isn't a type of bacon.

Now you are talking oh pointy one.

I'm <deleted> at Scrabble 'cause I can't spell, but Backgammon ...

I like cakes.

I like making REAL icing and showing Thai's the taste of a real vanilla cake!

[Morakot]

I'm special

I'm special and so's my wife!

Edited August 26, 2012 by Morakot

[sbk]

A thread that is supposed to be about positive people has been hijacked by the negative. Go figure.

If you cant post on topic and in a decent manner then don't post at all.

[Yooyung]

Well hows this for a positive take on Thailand for you.....

I lived there from early 2001 to early 2010 teaching. I had a great time, met my lovely wife, had a beautiful boy, got to know her non money grubbing genuinely open and giving family, had some very fun times in my adult evening/weekend classes, had some equally fun times at the prathom school that I taught at Mon to Fri, had some of the most fun holidays of my life travellng around Thailand, ate some of the best food, loved riding my motorbike in my spare time around the countryside in Pathumtani province, made some crazy but good expat freinds, had many drunken nights singing Karaoke with them, enjoyed the very relaxed attitude of the Thais, enjoyed the sense of freedom over there with much less feeling of big brother watching, saved...yes SAVED MONEY! and still had some left over to enjoy the good things Thailand has to offer, played pool with bar girls and enoyed their company.... but didnt marry one, was always able to sweet talk Thai cops even though I didnt have a licence.....sh*t I could go on but there is a taste.

Fast forward to now and I am back in Aus with the family nearing completion of a degree so that I can go back there and work legally with a lot less hassle. I think about Thailand every day and going back there is the light at the end of the tunnel. Australia is nice but to me it feels like living in one large retirement village. For me the positives of going back outweigh the negatives. I am still reasonably fluent in Thai but am working on my reading. It makes a big difference being able to communicate with the locals....I plan to take full advantage of having a stable reliable family over there, being able to work legally, having a wife that also works and WANTS to work as she has a career, a wife that doesnt waste money, a son that will be bilingual, a mum and dad that want to visit every year from Aus, a good command of the language so that i can ACTUALLY LIVE IN THAILAND..... and a partridge in a pear tree.......

Positive enough for yah?

[theblether]

Serendipity........

Yesterday I started this topic, and mentioned the ex-pat that said......" it is what it is ".

Today I got word that he died three weeks ago, he was 73

he lived a full life........and an interesting life to say the least.

I knew that man for 42 years........I was a 4 year old boy the first time he threw a rugby ball at me.

This is not a sad story.....this is a celebration of a life......how expat friendships can last a lifetime.

I'm sorry I wasn't there on the last day Alan......but this little boy will never forget your kindness.

Expat friendships can very often be the best friendships you will ever have.

RIP Alan........a truly positive ex-pat

Edited August 26, 2012 by theblether

[Semper]

Me.................. ..............................

There are lots of us around but mostly living with out Thai families away from the farang ghettos that just get on with life in Thailand.

If you want to find us you have to travel and we are even found on TVF butnot on the big forums.

Look for threads on rural life, farming and topics like that then read what is put there. Most of us don't give a rats about big cities and how "I was ripped off by a taxi/tuktuk/jetski/motorcycle etc".

We find much more interesting things to do than whine that I can only buy 6 bottles of beer at a time, only 2 packs of cigarettes (that was me) etc.

Life is there for the living and for enjoyment. Go do it as you are a long time dead.

If you make a mistake or screw up, learn from it and don't do it again.

why don't you drink something nutritious like milk, instead of carrying piss water home to your family, then smoking them to death?

Eh, have l missed something here. Explain your post, just for me.

He is not allowed to drink beer or smoke.

[billd766]

Me.................. ..............................

There are lots of us around but mostly living with out Thai families away from the farang ghettos that just get on with life in Thailand.

If you want to find us you have to travel and we are even found on TVF butnot on the big forums.

Look for threads on rural life, farming and topics like that then read what is put there. Most of us don't give a rats about big cities and how "I was ripped off by a taxi/tuktuk/jetski/motorcycle etc".

We find much more interesting things to do than whine that I can only buy 6 bottles of beer at a time, only 2 packs of cigarettes (that was me) etc.

Life is there for the living and for enjoyment. Go do it as you are a long time dead.

If you make a mistake or screw up, learn from it and don't do it again.

why don't you drink something nutritious like milk, instead of carrying piss water home to your family, then smoking them to death?

Thank you very much for your kind advice which, as is my right, I shall ignore with the contempt that it deserves.

[Pseudolus]

I met a guy in CM who was heading out to a Buddhist jungle retreat......the guy was about 70. He intended spending a couple of months reading Buddhist scriptures.

He told me the last time he did it he got to the point where the local wildlife ignored him, he was just part of the furniture.

Whimsical? Maybe......good story over a coffee? Certainly.

Wrapping up against the cold on a winters day? Or heading to a Jungle retreat........if I'm spared at aged 70 I know what I would prefer.

... and then you had to pay for his coffee? lol

[chiangmaikelly]

I met a guy in CM who was heading out to a Buddhist jungle retreat......the guy was about 70. He intended spending a couple of months reading Buddhist scriptures.

He told me the last time he did it he got to the point where the local wildlife ignored him, he was just part of the furniture.

Whimsical? Maybe......good story over a coffee? Certainly.

Wrapping up against the cold on a winters day? Or heading to a Jungle retreat........if I'm spared at aged 70 I know what I would prefer.

... and then you had to pay for his coffee? lol

If I point out that the above post is negative am I being negative too?

[canman]

I like the ex-pats who know that backgammon isn't a type of bacon.

Now you are talking oh pointy one.

I'm <deleted> at Scrabble 'cause I can't spell, but Backgammon ...

Me too, if only Scrabble had an F7 button