When are you an Oldtimer?

[Neeranam]

Yesterday,I played golf and started chatting to a fellow whitey at the 19th hole.

I sid , "alright,? where are you from?" to which he replied, "Khon Kaen, I'm an oldtimer been here 8 years".

I laughed and asked him in Thai if he he knew my usual golfing partners who have been here 70 years between them. The <deleted> didn't understand a word I said so I repeated in English and left after his stupid reply.

This year was only about 35. I am approaching 50 and been here about 22 years and don't feel like an oldtimer yet

I would say I'm an oldtimer at maybe 60 but would never say I came from here.

Are you an oldtimer?

What is an oldtimer?

[lovelomsak]

That is a very good question. The longer i live here i realise time spent here has little to do with how much the individual knows about Thais or Thailand. I have met guys who lived here for years and cannot speak a word of thai, or eat thai food,or associate with thais. Then i meet others with 2 years here who speak thai fluently,have many thai friends and know all the thai foods. So i wonder how important is time spent here. In my case I came here for holidays for many years before retiring here,my thai is very little and poor, and am tiring of thai food. The only thing time has given me is memories of how it was and how it is now. I was out of touch because of culture at first and now out of touch because of rapid changes..Also every person I meet knows something about Thailand I didnot know till I met them.be that they have been here 1 year or 40. Maybe in your golf player friend in his circles he is the old timer who knows. I am far from an oldtimer, I also donot quite know what an oldtimer is.so looking forward to what others think also.

Edited July 24, 2015 by lovelomsak

[Neeranam]

I'd be interested to know too lovelomsak.

I love meeting oldtimers as they usually have a lot of wisdom and to share. Maybe oldtimers don't like being called oldtimers which I can understand getting near a half century nyself and realizing that I AM old - my kids think I'm ancient and I had to quit playing football last year due to basically being too old.

I consider my father who is 79 an oldtimer but strangely not my mother who plays gold 4 times a week and is 74. I think I'd call myself an oldtimer, which btw I think is complimentary , when and if I am given the race to live to 75.

[n210mp]

Im a slow timer, no Im not really, just a little jest.

I think that maybe it's time to admit to being an an old timer when people talk to me and include the word Papa

When together with my riding partners who like me are in their 70s find it hard to mount and dismount the bike, yes we can ride some fair distances but getting on and off the bike, well that another story.

I think I'm an old timer when I give credit and use all the vitamins, hormones (testosterone) and youth enhancers that I seem lately to be a little too interested in

Being an old timer in Thailand, well the older I get it seems to be irrelevant as to where you live. I know that being old here seems to have advantages in that you are treated with respect most place

[Craig krup]

You're young if only your knees hurt. You're old when your hips hurt.

Or when, like Sean Connery, things central to your existence are beyond you. "The name's Bond..........Sorry, what was I saying?"

[And yes, I wouldn't say that if the big man was here ].

[krisb]

I'm confused.

So it's a how long you've lived in Thailand and how much more Thai you can speak than someone else that decides if you're an old timer?

Or is it purely just how old you are thing?

I'll say 85 if it's the 2nd choice And roll my eyes for the first.

[SoiBiker]

You're an oldtimer when you start being ridiculously snobbish about people who haven't been here as long as you.

I hope I never become one.

[Neeranam]

You're an oldtimer when you start being ridiculously snobbish about people who haven't been here as long as you.

I hope I never become one.

I know quite few oldtimers who are the opposite of snobbish.

Strange, false definition.

[leosmith]

You're an oldtimer when you start being ridiculously snobbish about people who haven't been here as long as you.

I hope I never become one.

I know quite few oldtimers who are the opposite of snobbish.

Strange, false definition.

You're old when you can't tell you've been dissed.

[villagefarang]

I do not have a definitive set of criteria for what makes an old-timer but I am pretty sure I am one.

[robertthebruce]

I still feel 16, act like a 16 year old, totally irresponsible, but that's me....

Happy with my Lot....

[huawei]

You're an oldtimer when you start being ridiculously snobbish about people who haven't been here as long as you.

I hope I never become one.

I know quite few oldtimers who are the opposite of snobbish.

Strange, false definition.

Agreed it's those who haven't been here long and then tell you they have it all sussed..

[smokie36]

Anyone got any pills?

I'm ready for a buzzzzzzzzz!

[sipi]

I work with a bunch of kids in their twenties. Apparently I am an oldtimer in my early fifties. It is all relative.

[starky]

I think you are mixing things up. I guess you are saying what defines an old Thailand "hand" not an oldtimer. Old is old, but also relative. The guys that introduced me to Thailand are all in there 50's and 60's (and older) now, so to them I am still the young fella. Whereas most of my close friends and workmates are in their mid to late 20's and to them, at 40, I am definitely "old". You could feel young at 60, 70 even 80 but your still old. I think though, essentially, you just really wanted to have a crack at old mate for living here 8 years and having the audacity to not speak Thai. This has been done to death. Personally I believe knowing Thai gives you a much richer and fuller experience in Thailand but that is only my opinion. I know I will never be able to read and write the language, so in the eyes of some I will never truly understand Thai. I know guys up where I live in Isaan who have lived here less than 3 years and speak almost exclusively Thai to their wives and family. I also know guys that have been coming here since the 70's and can barely string a sentence together. In either case I wouldn't be presumptuous enough to make a judgement upon them strictly based on their Thai speaking ability. Is 8 years in Thailand a long time? Maybe not if you have been here 20 or more, could be if you have only been here for a couple. Me? I have only been here since '98 so <deleted> would I know?

[MAJIC]

When are you an Oldtimer?

When people start giving you a seat on the Bus,or let you on first,when you was going to let some other Old timer on first!

[lazygourmet]

When are you an Oldtimer?

When people start giving you a seat on the Bus,or let you on first,when you was going to let some other Old timer on first!

When the new waitress at your regular hangout starts calling you "papa"...

[bannork]

Neeranam, you should know that living in LOS, due to the happiness factor related to living in Thailand, our bodies and minds only age at half or less than the rate in the UK- so you're only 25, forget this half century nonsense.

And what's this about the 19th hole? I'm no golfer but I was sure there are only 18 holes- a Scottish joke?

[NoshowJones]

Anyone got any pills?

I'm ready for a buzzzzzzzzz!

Why? This is a good interesting topic.

[samuibeachcomber]

When are you an Oldtimer?

When people start giving you a seat on the Bus,or let you on first,when you was going to let some other Old timer on first!

"old timer" is in the eye of the beholder.Inside us we still think of ourselves as young,denying the reality.And how often do we look at another old person and think they are old,yet we are the same age perhaps.

You are as young as you feel and on bad days as old as methuseleh! welcome to the aging process it does n't get any better.Everyone,have a good day.

[meatboy]

i get 1 or 2 calling me an old timer,when they hear me playing,fats domino,the platters,little richard,brenda lee,sonny and cher and then they ask whats that your drinking SCUMPY MY BOY. p-ss off.