Complications In Thailand?.......

[theblether]

I have two friends who are making the big retirement move to Thailand over the next couple of months, they both have a fair bit of experience of visiting Thailand, one having lived there for a few months a couple of years ago.

Like most switched on people they are aware of the visa requirements, how to qualify for them etc etc, so that's not the issue here. The issue is, what unexpected complications did you come across when you moved to Thailand? was it with housing? health insurance? what had you holding your head in your hands in frustration?

If you had your time again, what would you do different?

[Ulysses G.]

Spend more money on the ladies. Over the years, I have wasted a lot on rent and food and really regret it now.

[farang000999]

Fluorescent Lighting that makes you want to commit suicide.

[johna]

My only regret is I did not spend more time in Latin America

[TommoPhysicist]

Never buy or rent anything in a Thai nationals name.

It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it isn't.

Edited December 26, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[Rsquared]

The only one for me was not committing myself to learn the language straight away, foolishly thinking that it would just come to me because I would be totally surrounded by Thai speakers.

As with your friends Blether, I too had been here many times before settling in so haven't had any surprises (yet).

Cheers.

[tartempion]

Don't ask advice from sales people, they have no clue what they are selling, better do your homework before buying anything, further down the road chances are high what you bought is rubbish anyway.

[robblok]

Don't ask advice from sales people, they have no clue what they are selling, better do your homework before buying anything, further down the road chances are high what you bought is rubbish anyway.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect App

I agree its real hard ,o get quality stuff even if you are willing to pay for it. Especially when doing some home improvement or letting peiple do it for you.

[CMHomeboy78]

Never buy or rent anything in a Thai nationals name.

It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it isn't.

Only if they see you as a gullible farang to be fleeced.

If it's a family member you trust and have had a long- term relationship with, then it makes sense.

[BEVUP]

Never buy or rent anything in a Thai nationals name.

It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it isn't.

Only if they see you as a gullible farang to be fleeced.

If it's a family member you trust and have had a long- term relationship with, then it makes sense.

Its not the gullible farang

Its the other poaching family members who dont give a sh*te about the farang because thai family blood is thicker than any water

[dave2]

re

what had you holding your head in your hands in frustration

the worst mistake i made was not using any of my credit cards for three

years and when i went to use one ... they said no no

when i called mbna to ask them to unlock it they said your account

has been canceld through lack of use so i lost a 15 thousand quid

credit card limit and that really pizzed me off : (

re.

Only if they see you as a gullible farang to be fleeced

gullible or stupid ?

i bought this secondhand galaxy 7.7 tablet on the top floor of ksk for

10500 baht on tuesday and was offered the same tablet which is about a year old at

most for between 11000 to 12500 baht from four shops within 100 yards

of the shop i bought it from ... so it pays to shop around !

dave2 ... playing with my new toy which works perfectly : )

pic .. doi suthep xmas day 12

[rene123]

Holiday visits and actually "living" in Thailand are vastly different. Thailand laws make it difficult for any foreigner to own anything of any value in Thailand. Many others before me have all said the same thing... never buy what you can rent. And, don't try to plant roots too deeply because you might have to move quicklyfor any one of a thousand reasons.

[Soutpeel]

Never buy or rent anything in a Thai nationals name.

It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it isn't.

Only if they see you as a gullible farang to be fleeced.

If it's a family member you trust and have had a long- term relationship with, then it makes sense.

...and here we have the perfect example of a gullible farang in the making....here is old Soutpeels advice....dont trust anyone fully, the highest level of trust is with your direct blood relatives (not GF or wife) next level of trust could be your GF or wife....the term of the relationship means absolutely nothing in this scenario...

[wayned]

Believing anything that a Thai tells you without checking. They will tell you total BS just to avoid saying that they don't know! I've been married 15 years and my wife still does it, she can't help it even tough I know that she is lying!

[Neeranam]

Never buy or rent anything in a Thai nationals name.

It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it isn't.

Only if they see you as a gullible farang to be fleeced.

If it's a family member you trust and have had a long- term relationship with, then it makes sense.

Its not the gullible farang

Its the other poaching family members who dont give a sh*te about the farang because thai family blood is thicker than any water

Wow, what an attitude. Have you ever thought it might be because you married into a dysfunctional family?

Are you suggesting that all Thai family members don't care about their son/brother - in - law? I get a strong feeling that mine do. I'm visiting the family home today and meeting with all the family who come from around the country. I've been doing this NY routine for 13 years and they are like, well family. We have been through a lot together, good and bad, and trust them totally.

[Neeranam]

Holiday visits and actually "living" in Thailand are vastly different. Thailand laws make it difficult for any foreigner to own anything of any value in Thailand. Many others before me have all said the same thing... never buy what you can rent. And, don't try to plant roots too deeply because you might have to move quicklyfor any one of a thousand reasons.

A touch of paranoia? A foreigner can buy anything if they are serious about it, and not a tourist or retiree with minimal

pension.

Could buy a car, condo etc. The only thing that is difficult is to buy land. But this can be done easily if you are married or are single with a bit of cash.

To the OP - if your pals are moving for good - learn the language and stay away from the tourist resorts.

[Phronesis]

Assuming the XXL condoms here were the same size as back home

[yermanee]

I wish I had lowered my expectations when I came to live here.

Nevertheless it has been one heck of a ride and looking back I don't think I would change much.

There have been setbacks but with a bit of resolve and common sense these were easily overcome.

I think it would be presumptuous of me to give advice since different people have different aspirations, the only thing I think worth mentioning is don't burn your bridges and make sure you have a good health insurance plan and for the rest : go for it !

Yermanee

[trainman34014]

It really is about using whatever grey matter you have to the best possible advantage. Make your own decisions about partners and choose wisely if you want to marry and expect it to last. I've never been one who believes 20 plus year age gaps work in partnerships so I chose someone much nearer my own age group. I'm not saying if you marry a young'n that it won't work out, and I know some do, but I would bet my last Baht there are more that fail.

Visiting and pre-planning are vital both in the area of finances, home choice, area choice etc if you want to settle and stabilise reasonably quickly. Be pro-active, not reactive, as the locals are. Thai family behaviour varies when it comes to Farang living here and personally I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have problems in this area. When I first moved here I did have one particular person who thought that they could tap me to assist with their drinking and gambling habits but after a firm rebuff I've never had a problem with any of them.

I've never taken any notice of people who say don't buy, don't do this and don't do that. Be a Man and make your own decisions, it's your money so spend it the way you want it spent, as it's no one else's business how you use your funds.

Always be aware that apart from your closest partner there will be nobody much to lean on when it comes to your personal being. My wifes line is always 'You have to take care yourself in Thailan, nobody care you ! ' I never forget that.

[VillageIdiot]

Never buy or rent anything in a Thai nationals name.

It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it isn't.

Only if they see you as a gullible farang to be fleeced.

If it's a family member you trust and have had a long- term relationship with, then it makes sense.

If you've been here for a number of years and still don't know any Thais you can fully trust then it's time to think about leaving.

[HeijoshinCool]

Assuming the XXL condoms here were the same size as back home

So, here they fit?

[simple1]

It really is about using whatever grey matter you have to the best possible advantage. Make your own decisions about partners and choose wisely if you want to marry and expect it to last. I've never been one who believes 20 plus year age gaps work in partnerships so I chose someone much nearer my own age group. I'm not saying if you marry a young'n that it won't work out, and I know some do, but I would bet my last Baht there are more that fail.

Visiting and pre-planning are vital both in the area of finances, home choice, area choice etc if you want to settle and stabilise reasonably quickly. Be pro-active, not reactive, as the locals are. Thai family behaviour varies when it comes to Farang living here and personally I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have problems in this area. When I first moved here I did have one particular person who thought that they could tap me to assist with their drinking and gambling habits but after a firm rebuff I've never had a problem with any of them.

I've never taken any notice of people who say don't buy, don't do this and don't do that. Be a Man and make your own decisions, it's your money so spend it the way you want it spent, as it's no one else's business how you use your funds.

Always be aware that apart from your closest partner there will be nobody much to lean on when it comes to your personal being. My wifes line is always 'You have to take care yourself in Thailand, nobody care you ! ' I never forget that.

+1 In addition my Thai wife managed a resort business in Phuket for ten years and she said the biggest number of scams effecting foreigners were carried out by other foreigners.

[chrisinth]

I think where your friends are planning to retire to makes a difference. If they haven't thought this through properly, advise them to rent before buying.

As has been mentioned, coming here on holiday is a lot different than actually living here, and what they may have thought when they were on holiday could change dramatically if they commit before understanding all about the locale...................

For one reason or another (dependant on what you are retiring to) after every passing relationship, your world will get a little bit smaller. If you're clever and want to avoid confrontation.

I'm not saying the last comment is relevant (as you haven't given much information as to their intentions; they may be a married couple!), but it is something to be aware of..........

[CMHomeboy78]

Never buy or rent anything in a Thai nationals name.

It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it isn't.

Only if they see you as a gullible farang to be fleeced.

If it's a family member you trust and have had a long- term relationship with, then it makes sense.

...and here we have the perfect example of a gullible farang in the making....here is old Soutpeels advice....dont trust anyone fully, the highest level of trust is with your direct blood relatives (not GF or wife) next level of trust could be your GF or wife....the term of the relationship means absolutely nothing in this scenario...

If I'm a "gullible farang in the making" it's been a long slow process.

Thirtyfour years of being overcharged, scammed and ripped-off in various ways have been lessons learned the hard way.

My experience also includes thirty years of marriage to a girl from an old Chiang Mai family who raised our two daughters in a traditional manner while also educating them for careers in the modern world.

They have both turned out very well I'm happy to say.

To tell you that I trust my extended Thai family and their circle of friends would be an understatement.

That has been my experience here.

The tone of your post suggests that yours has been somewhat different; but perhaps no less valuable than mine.

[harrry]

Spend more money on the ladies. Over the years, I have wasted a lot on rent and food and really regret it now.

In your case and mine food......

[Gary A]

Don't get involved in ANY business with a partner, that means farang or Thai.

[GuestHouse]

I think it is quite common for expats to get expat overload around 18 months to 2 years into a period overseas.

I'd therefore recommend anyone going to live overseas to plan a trip back home in that time slot between 18 month and 2 years.

A chance to recharge batteries and stock up on loads of goodies.

[GuestHouse]

Credit cards and bank cards can be a pain to renew from overseas, so I'd recommend anyone who is planning to move overseas to renew their cards before they depart (and don't have the same renewal date on all your cards).

[IMA_FARANG]

You have to learn to adapt yourself to Thailand and learn to relax.

i mean this sincerely ... especially for Brits and "type A" personalities who demand immediate solutions to every problem,

Thailand just doesn't work that way.

Not always, but most times, there is a compromise solution to a problem, and if you are listening to what the Thai who is your "problem" is actually saying you can use usually arrive at that solution that is satisfying to both sides.

But time and time again i hear foriegners argueing with Thai officials that THEY (the government officials) must do it the way the applicant wants, No compromise is possible because I took a whole afternoon off to get this visa change done and YOU must therefore do it today.

Even though it's now 2:30 and the office closes at 3:00, I'm here now and you need to serve me NOW,

At least that's the attitde of to many foriegners.

Usually, that attitude gets them nowhere, in fact, it just means the government official usually makes more problems for such noisy and argumentive a--holes.

For some reason, Brits seem to be particularly prone to trying to argue the way through roadblocks by insisting on there own way of doing things .... they know mor than any Thai because they are naturakky superior to the Thais ... at least they give that immpression.

This gets them absolutely nowhere with government officials .... especially immigration.

So the first rule I would stress is this:

there are always roadblocks and delays. But, for god's sake, learn to smile and relax. There's always a compromise solution that you can agree with.

Smile, don't bluster and argue pointlessly, and often you and the other Thai person can reach that compromise.

Just relax, it will usually all work out, if you stay cool and collected.

Edited December 26, 2012 by IMA_FARANG

[CWMcMurray]

First thing they should do is take Thai language lessons... would recomend 2 hours a day, 5 days a week for at least a few months, then maybe pull it back to at least a few times a week for the next 6-9 months.

As once you can speak passable Thai a whole lot of things become easier and a whole lot less frustrating.

The funny thing is, once you can speak good Thai, you will start to notice that things really ain't that much different here then anywhere else in the world...

Once you get out of the bars and tourist areas, Thais are mostly just normal folks going through life trying to better themselves in the rat race and trying to provide best possible future for their kids that they can afford...

Also don't believe it if anyone makes some outragous claim about having to pay or do something that doesn't make much sense or feels wrong to you, as it is "Thai Culture".

As once you get outside "the scam zone", it really ain't like that... and the sooner you can speak Thai, the less time you will be spending in "the scam zone".