Decisions made for returning to the USA

[beachproperty]

OP you mentioned that you always had in the back of your mind moving back to the US. Why did you move to Thailand in the first place? AND why stay 10+ years?

[MockingJay]

OP you mentioned that you always had in the back of your mind moving back to the US. Why did you move to Thailand in the first place? AND why stay 10+ years?

Bam!!!!!

[bwpage3]

Good job. Thank you for posting. I really appreciate it.

Your wife looks amazing. Such a cute woman. And a child. The house looks great. A really nice life. I wonder if you think like I do that you were smart, and lucky. I know and hope your luck will continue. For sure your brains and discipline, got you to Thailand where you found a great girl and continued a great life.

One thing that that I read about is the girl who goes to the states, and then, learning western culture, changes for the worse. But as with most things, a lot of that probably has to do with the girl you choose too.

I hope things continue to go well.

Agree very lucky to meet my wife.

Was driving to Vientienne and got lost in Isaan.

I had never been to that part before, just fate that I was in the right place at the right time for me to meet her.

She is already westernized.

8 years on, still tells my mother how lucky she is to be married with me and my mother says I am the lucky one which I am.

I did the right things, cared about and supported her father who she is very close to.

When ever he runs into a rough patch, always there to help him out

Will help him come to the USA with us when all the requirements are met

she says I rescued her from poverty, I feel like she rescued me from myself

Very, very lucky and there is not one day goes by that I do not tell her how lucky I am to have her

wonderful woman.

[HeijoshinCool]

Good job. Thank you for posting. I really appreciate it.

Your wife looks amazing. Such a cute woman. And a child. The house looks great. A really nice life. I wonder if you think like I do that you were smart, and lucky. I know and hope your luck will continue. For sure your brains and discipline, got you to Thailand where you found a great girl and continued a great life.

One thing that that I read about is the girl who goes to the states, and then, learning western culture, changes for the worse. But as with most things, a lot of that probably has to do with the girl you choose too.

I hope things continue to go well.

A girl (of any race or upbringing) can be called amazing only if she continued to stay with you AFTER you went broke or at least made it through extremely difficult times together WITH you and DIDN'T leave... A friend of mine was one of the local property tycoons here, and his doll-faced, spotlessly perfect wife left him when??? Correctamundo - when his firm went belly up and things (like shopping for the 53rd pair of shoes) became "difficult"... Need I say more?

.

So now you stoop so low as to insinuate the OP's wife married only for money?

What a sad, small man it is who's so threatened by such a simple post that he feels compelled to make disparaging remarks about another man's wife.

Not only do you not need to say more, if you couldn't have said something nice, you never needed to say anything at all.

[beachproperty]

OP.....I've asked a few questions very nicely which you have decided so far to ignore.....just trying to get the WHOLE story.....Your fairy tale return to the US is nice and I am happy for you ...also wish you continued success and happiness...

To complete your story though it would be nice to know

How old are you? (asked by another poster and not answered yet)

Why did you come to Thailand?

AND why stay for 10 years?

[SGX]

Nice to read a happy post for a change. Amazing what you can achieve when everyone works together as a team. Well done.

[fang37]

When I met my future wife in CNX, she had not even been to BKK before. Now, we have been to BKK, Pattaya & SGP. Chatting about the possibility of a trip to Australia, no way. "I miss my family & food."

Years later, I comprehend. In LOS, for some, family is everything.

Even when we travel from Fang to CNX, there is regular telephone contact.

[HeijoshinCool]

OP.....I've asked a few questions very nicely which you have decided so far to ignore.....just trying to get the WHOLE story.....Your fairy tale return to the US is nice and I am happy for you ...also wish you continued success and happiness...

To complete your story though it would be nice to know

How old are you? (asked by another poster and not answered yet)

Why did you come to Thailand?

AND why stay for 10 years?

.

Maybe he's "ignoring" you because a/ the answers are irrelevant to the OP; b/ the answers are obviously something you intend on trying to use against him; c/ the answers are none of your business.

Or maybe he's just gone to bed already.

[beachproperty]

OP.....I've asked a few questions very nicely which you have decided so far to ignore.....just trying to get the WHOLE story.....Your fairy tale return to the US is nice and I am happy for you ...also wish you continued success and happiness...

To complete your story though it would be nice to know

How old are you? (asked by another poster and not answered yet)

Why did you come to Thailand?

AND why stay for 10 years?

.

Maybe he's "ignoring" you because a/ the answers are irrelevant to the OP; b/ the answers are obviously something you intend on trying to use against him; c/ the answers are none of your business.

Or maybe he's just gone to bed already.

Could be....but the WHOLE story is better than half a story....That's all

As for using it against him?....WHAT! ....... it's NOT the fairy tale he's told us?

None of my business?....Well he decided to post part of his story ...why not complete the picture?

Looked like he was still on line for awhile there .....but Yeah I can understand ....maybe not ALL a fairy tale.

Edited July 24, 2015 by beachproperty

[Berkshire]

OP.....I've asked a few questions very nicely which you have decided so far to ignore.....just trying to get the WHOLE story.....Your fairy tale return to the US is nice and I am happy for you ...also wish you continued success and happiness...

To complete your story though it would be nice to know

How old are you? (asked by another poster and not answered yet)

Why did you come to Thailand?

AND why stay for 10 years?

.

Maybe he's "ignoring" you because a/ the answers are irrelevant to the OP; b/ the answers are obviously something you intend on trying to use against him; c/ the answers are none of your business.

Or maybe he's just gone to bed already.

The question wasn't even directed at you. Why don't you just let the OP answer for himself? Are you afraid it would be inconsistent with the party line?

By the way, the beach dude's questions are fair and reasonable. Perfectly fine to ask on a PUBLIC FORUM where the OP laid out his life story for all to see.

[Cypress Hill]

Good job. Thank you for posting. I really appreciate it.

Your wife looks amazing. Such a cute woman. And a child. The house looks great. A really nice life. I wonder if you think like I do that you were smart, and lucky. I know and hope your luck will continue. For sure your brains and discipline, got you to Thailand where you found a great girl and continued a great life.

One thing that that I read about is the girl who goes to the states, and then, learning western culture, changes for the worse. But as with most things, a lot of that probably has to do with the girl you choose too.

I hope things continue to go well.

8 years on, still tells my mother how lucky she is to be married with me and my mother says I am the lucky one which I am.

I did the right things, cared about and supported her father who she is very close to.

When ever he runs into a rough patch, always there to help him out

Will help him come to the USA with us when all the requirements are met

she says I rescued her from poverty, I feel like she rescued me from myself

The OP's done well and if going home to the US was the best move for him, fair play.

This "support the family" stuff, though . . . moving parent/s to the homeland on your own dime, no doubt setting them up . . . all to please a woman????

Pfft . . not for everyone, that's for sure.

It's possible to achieve all that without the outlay but, although his route is different from the one I would've taken, he still got to the destination

Good luck

PS someone asked the ages of the OP and his wife. Did he respond?

[MockingJay]

Good job. Thank you for posting. I really appreciate it.

Your wife looks amazing. Such a cute woman. And a child. The house looks great. A really nice life. I wonder if you think like I do that you were smart, and lucky. I know and hope your luck will continue. For sure your brains and discipline, got you to Thailand where you found a great girl and continued a great life.

One thing that that I read about is the girl who goes to the states, and then, learning western culture, changes for the worse. But as with most things, a lot of that probably has to do with the girl you choose too.

I hope things continue to go well.

A girl (of any race or upbringing) can be called amazing only if she continued to stay with you AFTER you went broke or at least made it through extremely difficult times together WITH you and DIDN'T leave... A friend of mine was one of the local property tycoons here, and his doll-faced, spotlessly perfect wife left him when??? Correctamundo - when his firm went belly up and things (like shopping for the 53rd pair of shoes) became "difficult"... Need I say more?

.

So now you stoop so low as to insinuate the OP's wife married only for money?

What a sad, small man it is who's so threatened by such a simple post that he feels compelled to make disparaging remarks about another man's wife.

Not only do you not need to say more, if you couldn't have said something nice, you never needed to say anything at all.

I'm sorry you feel that way, Mr. Cool, but you said that: "as to insinuate the OP's wife married only for money?" not me!

I am emotionally unavailable here, because it appears, the OP and family always had it real nice, cozy and warm so that this smooth transition back home (to the country where he always wanted to return to anyways) backed by substancial finances and conditions to find a new job in no time, does not strike me as a success story at all, but simple straight forward boasting. Sorry, I can't contain it any longer. This "oooh, it is so better here, back home and how I could leave this beautiful and perfect place for something like Thailand is an absolute miracle to me now, and I am so happy to have left, and if anyone else want to leave look at me, I made it out of that hellhole, so can you..." posts sicken me! Beachproperty is absolutely right in asking why the OP then came to LOS in the first place, and the question - for all to see - has not been answered, yet further boasting and repetition about the love story and how happy everyone is... If one would make a movie about a happy happy family that met and lived happily in Half-Happyland and moves back to Full-Happyland happily with happy dad telling the whole world how happy he is - no hardship, no struggles, no obstructions, all happyhappy - do you think anyone would go to see that movie? No, because it is boring!

Edited July 24, 2015 by MockingJay

[HeijoshinCool]

OP.....I've asked a few questions very nicely which you have decided so far to ignore.....just trying to get the WHOLE story.....Your fairy tale return to the US is nice and I am happy for you ...also wish you continued success and happiness...

To complete your story though it would be nice to know

How old are you? (asked by another poster and not answered yet)

Why did you come to Thailand?

AND why stay for 10 years?

.

Maybe he's "ignoring" you because a/ the answers are irrelevant to the OP; b/ the answers are obviously something you intend on trying to use against him; c/ the answers are none of your business.

Or maybe he's just gone to bed already.

The question wasn't even directed at you. Why don't you just let the OP answer for himself? Are you afraid it would be inconsistent with the party line?

By the way, the beach dude's questions are fair and reasonable. Perfectly fine to ask on a PUBLIC FORUM where the OP laid out his life story for all to see.

.

Uh, well, my post wasn't directed at you.

But birds of a feather ….

[Berkshire]

OP.....I've asked a few questions very nicely which you have decided so far to ignore.....just trying to get the WHOLE story.....Your fairy tale return to the US is nice and I am happy for you ...also wish you continued success and happiness...

To complete your story though it would be nice to know

How old are you? (asked by another poster and not answered yet)

Why did you come to Thailand?

AND why stay for 10 years?

.

Maybe he's "ignoring" you because a/ the answers are irrelevant to the OP; b/ the answers are obviously something you intend on trying to use against him; c/ the answers are none of your business.

Or maybe he's just gone to bed already.

The question wasn't even directed at you. Why don't you just let the OP answer for himself? Are you afraid it would be inconsistent with the party line?

By the way, the beach dude's questions are fair and reasonable. Perfectly fine to ask on a PUBLIC FORUM where the OP laid out his life story for all to see.

.

Uh, well, my post wasn't directed at you.

But birds of a feather ….

Well you're trying to answer a question for someone else, whereas I'm doing no such thing. Talk about birds of a feather..

[slipperylobster]

Not everyone falls off the balcony....

I came so close to death by alcohol, albeit the Philippines, that I find it lucky to be alive in Thailand.

So many of us burn the bridges, that we can never go back.

He could have turned to alcohol and hookers, but made it back alive...and sober.

Liver and life intact. Took me 20 years, and would never of made it where I was.

I must add, a beautiful house is not always a home.....

Home is where you lay your head down on the lap of the woman you love, and you can sleep knowing you did right.

On the humorous side...hope he does not get bored with having it all. Sometimes living on the edge is what we need.

Edited July 24, 2015 by slipperylobster

[USNret]

Nice story. I'm in a similar place though I didn't live in Thailand quite as long. We went from there to Japan for 3 years while I worked on a U.S. military base. Now we're in Hawaii in a townhouse not far from the beach. Beautiful climate, gentle breezes & uncrowded beaches. Bought my wife a used 2013 Mini Cooper which she drives all around town. She's started an online business & makes good money which she's banking to one day support her mom & dad. I've got a great job which pays more than I could have imagined. All in all, it was a good decision. The only downside is that she doesn't ever want to move back to Thailand and that is something I'd always like to keep as an option.

[Berkshire]

Nice story. I'm in a similar place though I didn't live in Thailand quite as long. We went from there to Japan for 3 years while I worked on a U.S. military base. Now we're in Hawaii in a townhouse not far from the beach. Beautiful climate, gentle breezes & uncrowded beaches. Bought my wife a used 2013 Mini Cooper which she drives all around town. She's started an online business & makes good money which she's banking to one day support her mom & dad. I've got a great job which pays more than I could have imagined. All in all, it was a good decision. The only downside is that she doesn't ever want to move back to Thailand and that is something I'd always like to keep as an option.

Well this one I can certainly understand. Hawaii is a beautiful place, with beautiful people. Many Thais would love it.

[gchurch259]

Enjoyed reading about your venture !! I did about the same the first time I took my Thai Wife to USA. Flew into LAX, processed her thru and after a few days in LA rented an SUV and drove, with many stops, to my Sister's in Ft Walton Beach, FL. After a stay there we headed thru Atlanta to Charleston, SC, Sterling, Va. and finally to NYC to fly back to BKK.

We only found three real Thai Food places all the way, best was Siam Lotus in Las Vegas, one in Ft Walton and one in Charleston.

Getting my wife's Visa was easy in BKK because I had lived there 8 years, at that time, and everything was processed in BKK, about 4 months time.

Good luck, God Bless !!

[Petmag]

What a lovely story, was a pleasure to read, thank you for sharing..

[abrahamzvi]

Preaching to the choir here. Welcome back! Hey where in Fl are you where there are 25 Thai restaurants? I own a few condos in Florida and get down there from time to time and always looking to keep the wife fed and happy!

Preaching to the Choir? I don't think anyone is preaching anything only telling my own story. Satellite Beach/Indian River Area. Don't worry about keeping your wife fed and happy. Thai food here is cooked for Americans and is horrible. Not even close to the food in Thailand. Better to cook and eat at home. Nothing worse than spending $50 dollars for Thai food for 2 that is horrible.

In NYC one can find one or two Thai restaurants where the food is really Thai and in the one on Broadway you can even get proper Issan food. My wife always says Arroy mag mag...

[FangFerang]

Having to wait 16 month apart before they could come to the USA seems crazy. Happy that it all worked out but people reading this shouldn't assume that will be the norm.

Actually, the norm is 18 months.

[LPCustom69]

Congratulations! I always enjoy my trips back to the states.

[StaffsShot]

Why are so many people cynical here? Nothing wrong with wanting a change, having a decent education and telling people about it. He's not being a Donald Trump here showing his jets, vacation houses etc., he's just showing how his life got better for his wife and kid. Not his fault many whining people on this thread are skint/broke/can't rub two baht together.

Exactly my thoughts. Good luck to the guy, he's earned it. His wife I'm sure appreciates it. I must admit when I read about the jeep and Mustang I wondered but then I've got a Lexus and an Slk on my drive but no swimming pool here in UK lol.

He's right about finding the right and I mean right Issan wife. I've been married 2 years now to an absolute diamond Korat girl and we live very happily here in UK, her visa took only 12 weeks and I went back to accompany her here

Good wishes to the op

[maderaroja]

It helps to be rich when you move back to the U.S.

[MyFriend You]

I applaud the OP's post. It's refreshing to read a positive outcome on here after all the depressing dribble that's become the norm. Having recently gone thru the painful lengthy immigration process to get my wife from Phuket here...I understand his experience. He has valid points and reasonable advice. Not sure why we need to see pictures of the house though. His success was made plenty clear verbally. That being said I wish him and his family continued good luck.

The pics basically to validate the story to the non-believers and also to compare how I am living to give you an idea. This is a beach town, population 77,000, crime super low, excellent rated schools, no bugs because of the constant breeze off the ocean. For me, allot less stress and no headaches. As I said, not for everyone but for my family there are extremely thankful and happy to be here

What's the Vietnamese Community like there, normally where there are Thai's there are Vietnamese........birds of a feather so to speak. My 'adopted' family is Vietnamese, we are large land owners in the Delta region, now that I am retired, considering pullin up stakes (my lady adopted a couple of kids 4 & 5 yo) and starting to think of their future I have lived in the Keys (Crazy, Kooky, Fun) have a Toen Home in Honolulu (Expensive Kooky Fun) but never small town Florida. PM me if you like, I plan to travel up/down the coast in September.

[Mister Fixit]

Hey, Mesquite - that was not by any chance an attempt to get me to post a list and photos of my assets, huh? Let's leave it by I just know, ok? I had to put that remark in because I know that others then would say that i wrote what I did out of envy. That's not the case. I am happy for anyone who made it, but my point was that the OP's post might give many readers a wrong idea - such as grass is always greener in neighbor's garden, Thailand getting difficult - well, just move! I made it, so can you!... But there are plenty of odds - many expats in Thailand might now have a doctorate in technical engineering, etc. that would land them a job overseas just like that. Given the preconditions of the OP, it is no miracle and not difficult to go back and make a living there again, but such preconditions most here won't have. I have deepest regards for anyone who works his way out of a slum to richs, etc. but if anyone with lots of cash in the bank, best papers and knowledge to get high paid jobs thrown at him, makes it back to his home country and builds a new life there, I'd say it is just normal - nothing special. Anyone could do that, so what's the point? If I would ever go back to Europ after selling everything here, I'd have a great life there too and would be a self made man again as I hate to work for anyone else who tells me what and not to do. But I wouldn't post that as a success story in a forum, because it wouldn't be one. It is just normal life, going on with best preconditions. Amazing would be to see someone going back penniless and then hitting the jackpot. That would motivate others to try it too. And it would be something worthwile writing about. But not - "Well look, I have lots of cash, doctorate in metaphysics, raised a family here, but then moved with them to there, ain't that something? Isn't that inspiring?"

I do have to say that I agree with every word you've written in every post, MockingJay.

Good luck to the guy, but it just comes over as so smug, so arrogant and so acquisitive (why show the 3 cars on the drive, the crystal in the cabinet etc?). SOOOO tacky - looks like the inside of a gypsy's caravan.

And his wife? Don't want to knock, she's pretty, but it looks like showing off a trophy to me. My wife is just as pretty, is 20 years younger than me at 46 but everyone thinks she's 28-30, but I would NEVER, EVER dream of putting up her photo for any perve to lech at. She, too, is a diamond, and am the luckiest chap alive to have her - and so do plenty of other people here. My wife is from Pathum Thani, so central Thai, not Isaan, but not ALL Isaan girls are gold-diggers. Met some lovely ones.

My life is here and here I shall stay. One poster mentioned how he had chronic back pain in Europe but here it's almost gone. I have fairly advanced arthritis in both knees but it hardly bothers me unless I go back to cold rainy England.

I hope he continues to be happy and do well, but he might want to tone down the 'look-at-me-aren't-I-doing-great' stance. Braggadocio, the Italians call it, meaning 'boastful or arrogant behaviour' .

Just remember, bad luck can come to anyone, as well as good luck ... and what comes up can often come down with a bump. And pride often comes before a fall. A little humility wouldn't come amiss. ...

Edited July 24, 2015 by Mister Fixit

[Mister Fixit]

I'm always weary of threads like this because when someone feels a need to announce their departure from the LOS, you can usually count on the usual rhetoric, which is to say "I'm so happy to have left...I've made the right decision for myself/the family....my life is so much better...I can't believe I stayed so long"...blah blah blah, with of course, the usual suggestion (usually cryptic) that the rest of us are tools for staying.

But to his credit, the OP was (somewhat) balanced. I'm happy for the OP that he's found his paradise. But I'm sure he understands, not all of us want the same things.

Ahhh, a brainy post after all - putting what I wanted to say in a much better perspective with much less words... Well done Berkshire, you made my day! I love my family life in Thailand and agree absolutely to what you wrote!

"fools for staying" is what you meant, right?

I think Berkshire knew very well what he was saying ...

He did say a tool was the same as a fool, but in British slang (and US, I am sure), it has more to do with being a pr!ck ...

Edited July 24, 2015 by Mister Fixit

[MockingJay]

Spot on, Mr. Fixit! Spot on!

[JLCrab]

When talking about living in Florida on ThaiVisa it always comes to beach ... beach... beach... etc.

There are great places to live in Florida that are nowhere near the beach and the beach is never more than a few hours drive away.

Plus, you've never seen one of these pointing towards the beach:

Edited July 24, 2015 by JLCrab

[slipperylobster]

Having to wait 16 month apart before they could come to the USA seems crazy. Happy that it all worked out but people reading this shouldn't assume that will be the norm.

Actually, the norm is 18 months.

Yes. I had to go through homeland security, before the visa was forwarded to Bangkok. That, alone, takes six months. Aftter that...It was another 9 months to get the appointment. She was shot down, as I also did not have an address in the states. (My mother, who was still alive at that time, needed us to care for her in her home). The embassy said....no way...I needed a house of my own and a job. (I am retired military and disabled). So much for the service angle. I just stayed overseas too long (20 years).

Now it is all expired..and need to do the whole thing anew. Homeland security...Embassy appointment...and the entire package. Cannot even start until I have logged six months at a permanent "Physical Address" in the USA.

Thinking of not doing the Fiancee visa...just marrying her here and getting it registered at the Embassy. From there..we will just wait on an Immigration Visa..if and when it does happen.

1800 dollars in the hole already. Have to do it right next time.

They could not figure out the "Retired living in Thailand" part. Then again...is it really what we want? We have it very good here in Thailand. I am not an Engineer..nor am I upwardly mobile. Our quality of life will actually go down...for two or three years...and she would have to work 40 hours a week.

Edited July 24, 2015 by slipperylobster