What is the biggest mistake you have made in Thailand?

[LisuLover]

Saying "no" too much.

[whaleboneman]

Did anyone really take a look at this list of pitiful complaints---trusting the wrong people, being used by lovers, loaning money, misunderstanding cultures, eating bad food, opening a business, buying property, trusting the in-laws, taken by corruption, squat toilets, spicy food, too much drink, bad relationships, etc., ad infinitim---did you really grow up without learning to watch out for all these issues?

Where I grew up, there were no squat toilets.

[Fabricus]

What is the biggest mistake or thing that you have learned not to do in Thailand.

Sorry people, it still leaves a sour taste in my throat just thinking about it,

Building a house in Issan, it's been written about since the dawn of time

and i was well aware of everything, so i allocated about 1million baht

and promised when the money ended so did i, low and behold the money

stretched right to the end right when everything was about 99% finished

then one night the ex tells me ''tomorrow you go'' which i did.

The anger i felt was that i had searched for somewhere to ''lay my hat''

and i was really happy there and it was taken away from me, the money,

the bricks and mortar means nothing to me, the fact that i'm turned into

a wandering nomad makes me sad again, so off i go and when a girl talks

to me now i analise every word and try really hard to understand her

hidden meanings, would i ever do it again, NO.

I hope you're happier now. If it's of any consolation, most "happily settled" farangs (especially those who talk a bit louder than the rest) are in various states of self-denial. Basically they just pay for an illusory happiness.

Being shown the light rather than seeing the light is tough, but at least you had the opportunity to move on.

[Kondiao]

Saying goodbye to a particular Thai Lady, which was, in hind-sight, and as became clear later, a total cultural misunderstanding of a fresh face farang in Thailand.who knew nothing and expected people and particularly the women to be just like the West, and they are not, for all the right reasons.

The Grass-hopper learned, moved on to meet my current wife, but that one lady will always be fondly remembered.

Ditto. A sweet country "girl" of 37 years of age, and if I could go back in time.... knowing a little more about Thai culture, maybe I could have avoided wrecking the relationship.

I moved on too - and then blew it with two more women that I could have settled down with and been happy until the end. Now I am wiser and old and alone.

[tony5150]

Flushing toilet paper and not using the bum gun.

[puukao]

doing my PhD thesis on the ping-ping show.

seen it 652,636 times.

[soihok]

Buying a timeshare.

Doh!

[soihok]

I have learnt to say no to buying timeshares

[Estrada]

What is the biggest mistake you have made in Thailand?:

I never make mistakes.... Last week I thought I had made a mistake, but I was wrong.

[Estrada]

Quitting my well paying job at 55 and moving here. The boss that was giving such grief, quit 6 months after I left.

Console your self... Perhaps the reason he quit was because he no longer had you to give grief to.

[dragonballs]

still waiting to find a hot loving faithfull girl .. any tips ? any nice looking sister of your wife looooooooooooooooooooooool

[smotherb]

Did anyone really take a look at this list of pitiful complaints---trusting the wrong people, being used by lovers, loaning money, misunderstanding cultures, eating bad food, opening a business, buying property, trusting the in-laws, taken by corruption, squat toilets, spicy food, too much drink, bad relationships, etc., ad infinitim---did you really grow up without learning to watch out for all these issues?

Unlike you, not all TV members and general people in society make stupid mistakes from time to time. After all that is the point of the thread to point out those mistakes as silly as you may find them.

Do have any mistakes that you would like to point out (maybe you already have)? If you don't, then I suggest you stay out of the thread and let others contribute on topic.

Although I should appreciate your opinion, I cannot feel obligated to honor it.

[smotherb]

Did anyone really take a look at this list of pitiful complaints---trusting the wrong people, being used by lovers, loaning money, misunderstanding cultures, eating bad food, opening a business, buying property, trusting the in-laws, taken by corruption, squat toilets, spicy food, too much drink, bad relationships, etc., ad infinitim---did you really grow up without learning to watch out for all these issues?

Where I grew up, there were no squat toilets.

So, when you first saw the squatter you had absolutely no conception of what it could possibly be? Then, after realizing what it may be, you did not notice you couldn't sit on it dangling your legs? As I asked, did you really grow up without learning--analyze the situation, look at potential ramifications, develop contingency plans--to watch out . . . .

[nikmar]

still waiting to find a hot loving faithfull girl .. any tips ? any nice looking sister of your wife looooooooooooooooooooooool

My wifes brother is out of prison. If I put him in a wig will he do. We need to find a new home for him.

[chiang mai]

still waiting to find a hot loving faithfull girl .. any tips ? any nice looking sister of your wife looooooooooooooooooooooool

Tip 1 - don't look in the obvious places

Tip 2 - don't look where other farangs are looking

Tip 3 - don't look within five miles of a gogo bar, bar, red light district, tourist district

There's no charge for this advice.

[balo]

Not so many mistakes myself, but my friend was almost arrested for touching the head of a buddha statue with his feet, inside a temple. He was just being a stupid tourist , went into the temple and climbed up the stairs and did not think about his actions, so he touched the buddha with his feet. His Thai tour guide threw him out of the temple and the police came to arrest him. But he paid some money and was released. I think he learned his lesson.

[goreme]

My biggest mistake was not coming to Thailand sooner...

I'm in heaven....

YES!!! I can't agree more!

I wasted 20 years in Vietnam, first. Although, 'wasted' probably isn't the best term. Learnt a lot over there that prepared me for Thailand.

Thailand is easy after doing the 'hard yards' in Vietnam.

Interesting...care to share some of those lessons learned in Vietnam that helped prepare you for Thailand?

[Hugh Geen]

Living with the woman I am still living with for 5 years!

[Petchou]

I shall try to be possitive and honnest to you all, i'v been in thai for 15 years non stop, the best thing ever happend was: i get divorced, and learned to speak thai . The rest of the time here in thai was crap.

Moved houses 13 times, bought 12 cars, lost my child, set up businesses 17 times, lost money 5.5 mill thb. Get cought up with family crimes becouse im farang, and more. Now some may say that i am stupid or blind, but farangs who just come to thai have to belive there wife or girlfriend about culture, and the rules in thai as we step into a world that we westerners dont understand, so thai people can lie a whole new world to us, and we ofcouse belive all that crap, so the first thing what popped up in my mind, what the biggest mistake was in thailand, is stay here in thailand after my first mistake. But yeah, my stubborn attitude to never give up in life, made me get this shitty life of 15 years in thai. Now i get a new change in life, i will stay in thai now as i get a perminent residence, and found my soul mate. Keep on walking!

Sure you are an angel like all farangs :-), farangs never lie, manipulate or cheat.

Only thais do. Give me a break. The big illusion.

[Stray]

My biggest mistake was not coming to Thailand sooner...

I'm in heaven....

YES!!! I can't agree more!

I wasted 20 years in Vietnam, first. Although, 'wasted' probably isn't the best term. Learnt a lot over there that prepared me for Thailand.

Thailand is easy after doing the 'hard yards' in Vietnam.

Interesting...care to share some of those lessons learned in Vietnam that helped prepare you for Thailand?

Don't get into a fight with a local. It will never be one-on-one and, even if you are in the 'right', it won't stop them taking an opportunity to hit a 'round eye'.

Stopping at the scene of an accident after being hit by a woman that barreled through the red light.

Contradicting the constabulary. Didn't matter that the person in authority had talked himself into a corner and proven that he's lying. He was still the person in authority. (It will be many years before they have a chess champion. Thinking ahead is not a trait.)

Ensure that you personally report your place of residence to the local police. Don't trust that your landlord has done it. Being woken at 2am by a large group of police and being informed that you are living in the house 'illegally' is no fun.

Trusting (and paying) the guys that 'guard' the motorbikes outside of bars and restaurants.

Letting someone take my photo in (what appeared to be) an innocent setting (at a table, on the footpath, outside of a café). Then, months later, having someone show me the European magazine article where the photo appeared (that was in the days BEFORE the internet!).

Not locking the front door keys in the safe before going to sleep with a take-away.

Believing that 'the love of my life' was staying at their mother's house, then, next morning, finding the business card of the country manager of a well known, international company in the back pocket of their jeans . . . and a room key! (Actually, that seemed to start out bad but ended up in my favour.)

Going for a holiday in Vietnam but forgetting to leave . . . for 20 years! Caught 'yellow fever' BIG TIME!!!

There are many, many more mistakes but I'm sure everyone knows about the pitfalls (and the fun).

Have no intention of ever living outside of SE Asia.

Bottom line. After doing the hard yards in the 'communist' cities over east, life in the Thai countryside is a breeze.

[nidieunimaitre]

At Tops they sell pre packed sushi.

It looked rather nice, so I took a platter.

I had great difficulty doing so, since the platter was stuck to the booth with sticky tape.

Proceeded to the cash desk, the cashier could not find the price tag and called her supervisor.

The supervisor then explained that this sushi was not for sale, as it was a plastic imitation....

It looked very appetizing though!

And by the way, the only one who laughed at this mistake was me.

[soihok]

Many years ago I was introduced to then Thai gf's mother.

In my extremely weak grasp of Thai language I managed to greet her in front of her friends with a "Hello Dog".

Needless to say she wasn't impressed.

But the gf and Mothers friends thought it was hilarious.

[timbothaivisa]

I've regretted not buying a condo from day 1, if not to live in, then to rent. Either way, sinking the rent every month is cash I could have had a lot of by now!

I sometimes also regret not getting enough *real* tail before settling down, but at least I settled with a diamond

[1BADDAT]

I've regretted not buying a condo from day 1, if not to live in, then to rent. Either way, sinking the rent every month is cash I could have had a lot of by now!

I sometimes also regret not getting enough *real* tail before settling down, but at least I settled with a diamond

. It sounds like your decision not to buy might be a good decision according to a lot on here. Hard I tell the future....

[chiang mai]

I've regretted not buying a condo from day 1, if not to live in, then to rent. Either way, sinking the rent every month is cash I could have had a lot of by now!

I sometimes also regret not getting enough *real* tail before settling down, but at least I settled with a diamond

. It sounds like your decision not to buy might be a good decision according to a lot on here. Hard I tell the future....

I regret not buying more property sooner, just as I regret having listened to those people saying, "don't bring more money in Thailand than you can afford to loose", absolutely the worst investment advice ever given in the past twenty years.

[chrisinth]

i will always remember one of the first times i had arrived in Pattaya. i was sat in a small bistro in Soi Yotsak sampling the local beverages when a drop-dead gorgeous girl came and sat next to me and started talking. She was so charming and sweet that time just flew by.

Come the end of the evening, she invited me home. i paid the bill, she seemed to have enjoyed the evening as she left quite a large tip with the old woman behind the bar. i noticed that because I'm very observant.

Anyway, we got into her new car and drove a little way to a new condo block, Santana playing on the stereo. It was only when she performed a perfect reverse parking maneuver outside the condos that i thought "Wait a ferking minute"..........................

In her room, i asked her why she had a picture of her brother on the bedside table. She said "Don't be silly, that was me before the operation"...................

In the years that passed, i used to bump into 'K. Somporn' a few times. He did look different in his day job with his dark glasses and welding flip-flops on. He had aged a bit as well, but his breasts appeared as pert and firm as the first day i saw them.

[i claudius]

Not meeting my wife years earlier,I had some great times before,but as I had not exactly been a saint all my life ,missing out on rogering so many Thai ladies would have been no loss ,but more time with my wife would be a bonus as I get older I realize this.

[oval]

Getting the wrong girl pregnant was the best and worst mistake of my life.

[StreetCowboy]

What is the biggest mistake you have made in Thailand?:

I never make mistakes.... Last week I thought I had made a mistake, but I was wrong.

Some mistakes are easier made than others, as one grows older

[Ace of Pop]

First Month here i was Jumping into Benzes thinking they were Taxis in Bkk on rainy nights, and scaring the owners. They were rather indignant , they didnt understand they are Cabs in Europe.