Leaving Thailand for China, here is why

[thailiketoo]

I left Asia last year and i think the points OP make are valid and i think Thailand is for some people but in my experience when you strip away the the booze and the girls,there is not much left to offer.Asians are by there nature on a totally different wavelength to the western mentality which is difficult to live with if you ask me,alot of Asians are born liars and scammers and they scam and cheat their own people not to mind the foreigners,the only thing i miss about Asia is the weather and having returned to europe,i see big improvements in the economy here.I have lived in many countries but the one thing that makes life easy or difficult to do business in is the language and culture.If i were to go back to Asia and pick a country ,it would be the philippines,they speak english,they share similarities with western culture more than any other country in Asia and if you ask me ,it is a country with the most potential,it is just turning around as an economy and has lots of future potential.I spent 3 weeks in shenzhen and i could not wait to get of there,a concrete jungle with a population only interested in making money ,the weather was terrible,i would not want to live there but i like the balance between lifestyle and a good economy.

You wrote, "if you ask me,a lot of Asians are born liars and scammers and they scam and cheat their own people not to mind the foreigners." How would you feel if someone wrote that about your countrymen?

[wym]

I'd like to get in an apology before an eventual lock for the choice of words regarding mixed thai-farang children. I did not mean to deliberately offend parents of mixed ethnicity children and it was a very poor choice of words. The comment was supposed to be aimed at the beauty standards of some thais rather than an insult.

Nicely done, rare enough here. . .

That alien look you see in show biz is more the result of plastic surgery than cross-breeding.

****************************

I took OP's comment as *whiter skin, narrow nose / facial features* is the media business model. And I agreed.

For the record, that mode is denigrating and actually suppressive for Thai not so inclined. Think about the young teenage girls who watch this sh-t on Thai TV, young women genetically darker.

Essentially, the media is projecting: *If you have dark skin and broad facial features, you are of a lesser class and unattractive*.

Empathy is not exactly big, round these parts.

In this case, media is reflecting and amplifying how the whole society feels, including the dark flat-nosed girls themselves, this POV is very much internalized.

[kimbathewhitelion]

I left Asia last year and i think the points OP make are valid and i think Thailand is for some people but in my experience when you strip away the the booze and the girls,there is not much left to offer.Asians are by there nature on a totally different wavelength to the western mentality which is difficult to live with if you ask me,alot of Asians are born liars and scammers and they scam and cheat their own people not to mind the foreigners,the only thing i miss about Asia is the weather and having returned to europe,i see big improvements in the economy here.I have lived in many countries but the one thing that makes life easy or difficult to do business in is the language and culture.If i were to go back to Asia and pick a country ,it would be the philippines,they speak english,they share similarities with western culture more than any other country in Asia and if you ask me ,it is a country with the most potential,it is just turning around as an economy and has lots of future potential.I spent 3 weeks in shenzhen and i could not wait to get of there,a concrete jungle with a population only interested in making money ,the weather was terrible,i would not want to live there but i like the balance between lifestyle and a good economy.

You wrote, "if you ask me,a lot of Asians are born liars and scammers and they scam and cheat their own people not to mind the foreigners." How would you feel if someone wrote that about your countrymen?

Was wondering who would be 1st in replying to ireland007 ignorant ramblings. Why bother bashing a single country when you can insult an entire continent.

Sent from my LG-D802 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Wordworx]

Did I read the OP correctly? - he is sick of Thais being rude towards him and is moving to the internationally renowned bastion of politeness and common decency ...China. Has he actually been to China? Does he know how stupid his plan sounds? That's like having chemotherapy because you're sick of cutting your hair.

************************************

Caustic, insulting, to the point and the chemo line was not bad.

The Chins (Hans) are about the worst I've encountered. Get down south, especially among the ethnic groups down there and to the far west, Tibet, Xinjiang, quite a bit different.

Some of the most beautiful and exotic women ever, down south, like in Guizhou, and Yunnan. The Hui, Miao, Bouyei, Dong, Yao / Mien... Not that you will any of that -- but AWESOME LOOKING WOMEN.)

Anyway, those places ain't gonna pay the rent.

[jomcondo]

OMG China......I've never met such a bunch of annoying people anywhere else in Asia........filthy swine.

[Sam Gold]

Why China? Because it is the rising power and while the best wild west days are probably gone, there are still great opportunities there. What's more important is that chinese people are actually looking out, something that no thai has done in the last 30 years - and the chinese are actually very interested in what the rest of the world are doing, how we are living, what the world thinks of china etc. They want to learn from others, to work together. The white man is not seen merely as a despicable walking wallet to be fleeced in between <deleted>mongering activities. It's a huge county, massive differences in culture, nature and language. The opportunities there are endless. There are also jobs, there are business opportunities, possibilities to make things happen if you are a hardworking guy. Oh yeah, and their women are far more attractive than the isaan prostitutes or the weird looking halfbreeds adored by the Thai media.

There are just as many Chinese who are rude and dubious towards foreigners than Thais, possibly more, and the whole "China is where it's all happening" thing is turning out to be largely unfounded.

I'd be interested in having your views after a couple of years actually living there.

[Aatsi]

Yes you writing feels absolutely true, sure have many more nice and comfortable peoples and places. I like more some other asian country and heartly peoples there.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Aatsi

[Skeetjones]

Have fun getting ran over in china while everyone watches and keeps walking like nothing happened. Lol.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Noi657]

Thais rude? Hmm... New one on me, but then again I always treat people how I want to be treated. Also before you go to China thinking life's a bed of roses and everyone's lovely and polite, many Thais are actually of a Chinese ethnicity... Maybe, just maybe these are the the rude Thais you speak of!

[herb59]

you are right and i am next in December. not China. i dont own a lot here, as i never wanted getting dependent. there are nice Thais and expats. but i see the changes for more than 20years now. my rate is 20/80 and thats too less for me. hope many westerners keep going to Thailand

[ableguy]

If I was younger bro I would join you, having said that I live with a lovely lady half my age and have been together for five years, a lot of what you say is so true but apart from people Locals thinking I am brain dead and eripe for free money my life is ok, and by the way have been around world twice inc spells in china, I think the most beautiful chicks in the world come from Taiwan, Japan and thailand, just my opinion.

[Noi657]

Wonder what the ratio is for incoming/outgoing expats each year?

[donniereadit]

Mass mailing job applications/resumes doesn't work anywhere. The kicker is that the Hammer dude was offended that he didn't receive any polite declines from prospective employers. Is he serious? At my company, we get job applications all the time. All the time. Do we respond to every single one? Of course not. This is part of what makes his anti-Thai rant so lacking in credibility. But in all honesty, I hope a few like him listens and follows his lead.

He sounds like an attention-seeking English teacher who failed.

So what? No one will miss him when he's gone.

I'm glad reading this thread wasted some of your time...

When you die remember the precious time you wasted reading this.

[reenatinnakor]

So you would prefer a country where people spit, shout, smoke, shit, piss anywhere in the street, train, bus or pavement ....rather than be in a country where the weather is always nice, with the sexiest girls in the world in shorts an mini skirts who's only flaw is maybe they want a way out with a richer foreigner in order to take care of their family.

Each to their own I guess. Good luck having to fight with the locals in China....you do know queuing up has not yet been invented there? You do know Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japanese girls are not China girls? You do know you can't access Facebook or Twitter or any betting sites there unless you have a VPN? Off course you would know all this.....and yes my mum is from China, that's why she left it. Good luck!!

[wym]

Wonder what the ratio is for incoming/outgoing expats each year?

I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg, the trend is for everyone to go live everywhere in the long run, those countries that allow it will see more and more demand as national borders become less and less relevant.

Wages and cost of living will tend to equalize, wealth disparity will continue to grow, for the worldwide top 10% the globe is their playground, remote workers will take advantage of that flexibility, those on fixed incomes will increasingly go where it suits them.

Edited March 31, 2014 by wym

[GoNavy]

MrHammer: You wrote that you were about the age of the 20 something year olds.......and once I read you were 30. You are a young person then to try many different things before you become salt and pepper. We all have our niches and breaking points. Ventilating yours is a good way to clear the air in your own conscious to make the jump of a change. Life is an adventure and we make our own rides. I have done my share of living in Vienna, various American cities to Acapulco. All had their negatives and positives. That is what is called life. Enjoy yours and make the best of the time you have in it. Peace.

[maccaroni man]

I like the OP post regarding his point of view towards Thailand I do believe he is in for a huge reality check in China and wish him the best of luck

[Scarpolo]

OP,

FWIW,

I have a very good female chinese friend, whom I know from SF

her husband was transfered to Bejing, and they were supposed to spend 2 years there,

She returned after 9 months, sick of it all,

and she is chinese,

you shud try Miami Beach.

[Water Buffalo]

"Oh yeah, and their women are far more attractive than the isaan prostitutes or the weird looking halfbreeds adored by the Thai media."

"That alien look you see in show biz is more the result of plastic surgery than cross-breeding"

Actually, there is no such thing as crossing-breeding in humans. We simply don't have breeds.

You (presuming you are white) can have a closer genetic connection with a black man in Africa than your own (white) next door neighbour (provided you are not blood relatives). Larger genetic differences occur in people within the same continent than between continents

.''If you ask what percentage of your genes is reflected in your external appearance, the basis by which we talk about race, the answer seems to be in the range of .01 percent,'' said Dr. Harold P. Freeman

Scientists have been saying for quite some time now that there is no such thing as race (genetically/biologically).

Race exists only in social aspect. As Templeton explains, "Race is a real cultural, political and economic concept in society, but it is not a biological concept, and that unfortunately is what many people wrongfully consider to be the essence of race in humans -- genetic differences,"

Among Templeton's conclusions: There is more genetic similarity between Europeans and sub-Saharan Africans and between Europeans and Melanesians, inhabitants of islands northeast of Australia, than there is between Africans and Melanesians. Yet, sub-Saharan Africans and Melanesians share dark skin, hair texture and cranial-facial features, traits commonly used to classify people into races. According to Templeton, this example shows that "racial traits" are grossly incompatible with overall genetic differences between human populations.

Just some fun facts and something to contemplate.

Edited April 1, 2014 by Water Buffalo

[GlobalCtzn]

Well your alcohol prices have gotten too high, and the vulnerable women you seem to gravitate to have other choices now making them harder for you attain. On to greener pastures......................

As for me. I live in the beautiful north of Thailand, I have wonderful Thai friends, business partners, and social relationships. I eat fresh healthy food for a fraction of the cost of most ANY other place on this planet. Housing is stunningly cheap, and the list of daily life positives is literally too long to list here.

I think you may be on the road of discovery whereby the meaning of the adage "Wherever you go, there you are." may at some point soon be dawning on you. Good luck in China!

[BritManToo]

As for me. I live in the beautiful north of Thailand, I have wonderful Thai friends, business partners, and social relationships. I eat fresh healthy food for a fraction of the cost of most ANY other place on this planet. Housing is stunningly cheap, and the list of daily life positives is literally too long to list here.

What about the smog?

I'm in CM, and it's a real choker.

[Wordworx]

Used to live in Beijing, now in Chiang Mai. No comparison. Smog index at this moment in CM is 77 / "Moderate", probably about as bad as it gets here. At this moment in Beijing it is 277 / "Very Unhealthy". To be fair to Beijing, things have improved in recent days. A week or so ago index was "Hazardous" (see below). Further south is better. Shenzhen, for instance, is now 124. That's just "Unhealthy". But Shanghai is 266 / also "Very Unhealthy". I mean, if we're still talking quality of life comparison.

• Moderate – AQI of 51 to 100
  Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
• Very Unhealthy – AQI of 201 to 300
  Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.
• Hazardous – AQI of Greater than 300 ( > 300)
  Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects.

[Zorro46]

We only have ourselves to blame if the Thais, don't like us farangs.

I see fat bellied old men walking around towns and shopping malls with no shirts on and farang women sunbathing topless on the beach.

Many Thais are shocked by this and regard it as disrespectful.

They also see us as perverts only coming for the sex and cheap booze, where'as massage and prostitution in Thailand is an accepted low key part of their culture and nothing to be ashamed of.

I have been to China 3 times for the same reasons you give.

The Girls there are beautiful, but materialistic and educated, they know what they want from a man and that usually means good financial support for her and her famiy if neccesary, so this means a good job and no beach bums.

The whole country wants what we have. flat screen TVs fridges, cars, branded fashion goods and food with Western names. Hip hop and expensive sophisticated nightclubs and disco's. And as far as I couid tell, that is all they are focused on.

Yes they are starting to love their nature and their old culture of art and music too.

But really you need a wad to be there.

They love to go around in groups and don't seem too keen on individualistic lifestyles.

The other thing is that you only get a one months visa. That's it! unless you are a teacher or have a job there. (Even English teachers need a degree in something )

In some places you will need a hefty non returnable security deposit to rent a place.

You will get hassled by the minute when you walk down the street on Beijing and Shanghai, by people trying to sell you something or con you.

On two occasions I went in spring and got very bad chest infections, I think due to the habit of men and women spitting up phlegm right in front of you and the extreme cold of spring ( March )

I rushed back to ill to Thailand and sat on a nice warm beach under a coconut tree with a plate of tropical fruit. Ahhhh!.

All the taxi drivers smell of garlicky fish source. God know what they eat, but it is putrifying and they don't stop using their horns.

But don't let me put you off haha!

Please keep us informed as to how you get on there.

[MrWorldwide]

The OP makes me ashamed to have the same fake prefix on my boardname

[Hugh Geen]

OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,

Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat;

[Maroon Watcher]

China is 34 years old [open doors] - the vast majority of educated people speak English.

Most young people in China can now hold a basic conversation.

Thailand is the worst place for speaking English, I have ever visited.

When I left the airport I was shocked at the total lack of English in most places.

On my last holiday in Samui many waiters could not form a sentence or describe the menu.

Too many could not understand an order unless I pointed at the picture.

Thailand is the Only tourism destination in the world that cannot communicate
in an International Language (Even in Tourist areas - it appears backward)

Until ASEAN - they could get by with pigeon English....

But this is Thailand - who cares?

I agree with most of this, however one reason Thailand is realistic is the Visa and the language. Much more difficult to get Visa's in China and it is much more difficult to find Chinese who speak English like they do in Thailand

I actually have a Chinese GF in USA and go to Thailand for mongering. She is ok with it as long as I am "safe and I don't bring anything home." I guess I have the best of both worlds.

[Maroon Watcher]

PS it is EXTREMELY easy to get a Visa in China.

(If you want to give something - like work)

It's more organised.

It takes less time.

LESS paper work

No 90 day rule

It's cheaper (& is paid by your employer)

You don't have to pay to leave the country (for an overseas holiday)

Most companies also pay you your airfare to see your family.

Or go on holiday (appreciation)

Plus Free Chinese lessons...

China is 34 years old [open doors] - the vast majority of educated people speak English.

Most young people in China can now hold a basic conversation.

Thailand is the worst place for speaking English, I have ever visited.

When I left the airport I was shocked at the total lack of English in most places.

On my last holiday in Samui many waiters could not form a sentence or describe the menu.

Too many could not understand an order unless I pointed at the picture.

Thailand is the Only tourism destination in the world that cannot communicate
in an International Language (Even in Tourist areas - it appears backward)

Until ASEAN - they could get by with pigeon English....

But this is Thailand - who cares?

I agree with most of this, however one reason Thailand is realistic is the Visa and the language. Much more difficult to get Visa's in China and it is much more difficult to find Chinese who speak English like they do in Thailand

I actually have a Chinese GF in USA and go to Thailand for mongering. She is ok with it as long as I am "safe and I don't bring anything home." I guess I have the best of both worlds.

[Maroon Watcher]

Yep always cross the road with Chinese as a barrier to traffic -

they will lay down all day and scream till they get compo

Have fun getting ran over in china while everyone watches and keeps walking like nothing happened. Lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Maroon Watcher]

"Even teachers need a Degree" or something TEFL?

Really!!

We only have ourselves to blame if the Thais, don't like us farangs.

I see fat bellied old men walking around towns and shopping malls with no shirts on and farang women sunbathing topless on the beach.

Many Thais are shocked by this and regard it as disrespectful.

They also see us as perverts only coming for the sex and cheap booze, where'as massage and prostitution in Thailand is an accepted low key part of their culture and nothing to be ashamed of.

I have been to China 3 times for the same reasons you give.

The Girls there are beautiful, but materialistic and educated, they know what they want from a man and that usually means good financial support for her and her famiy if neccesary, so this means a good job and no beach bums.

The whole country wants what we have. flat screen TVs fridges, cars, branded fashion goods and food with Western names. Hip hop and expensive sophisticated nightclubs and disco's. And as far as I couid tell, that is all they are focused on.

Yes they are starting to love their nature and their old culture of art and music too.

But really you need a wad to be there.

They love to go around in groups and don't seem too keen on individualistic lifestyles.

The other thing is that you only get a one months visa. That's it! unless you are a teacher or have a job there. (Even English teachers need a degree in something )

In some places you will need a hefty non returnable security deposit to rent a place.

You will get hassled by the minute when you walk down the street on Beijing and Shanghai, by people trying to sell you something or con you.

On two occasions I went in spring and got very bad chest infections, I think due to the habit of men and women spitting up phlegm right in front of you and the extreme cold of spring ( March )

I rushed back to ill to Thailand and sat on a nice warm beach under a coconut tree with a plate of tropical fruit. Ahhhh!.

All the taxi drivers smell of garlicky fish source. God know what they eat, but it is putrifying and they don't stop using their horns.

But don't let me put you off haha!

Please keep us informed as to how you get on there.

[Ulysses G.]

Thailand is the worst place for speaking English, I have ever visited.

Don't go to Japan. It is much worse in the English department and expensive as well - very safe and good food though.