thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 here's plenty more rules. These are probably the essential ones. Please reply if you can think of more and I'll include them in the book. Never get into political discussions with Thais, even with your SO. If you are ever asked about your political opinions in re Thailand, simply smile and say you don't know enough about it to have an opinion (even though you probably know more about it than whoever is asking for your views). Never believe anything anyone tells you, Thai or farang, unless/until you can verify that what you've been told is true. Don't keep money in Thailand. Pay the exorbitant ATM fees - just think of it as insurance. Don't get inebriated to the point that you can't fend for yourself. Internalize the fact that even very wealthy/successful Thais are generally not very well-educated in terms of understanding even the history of their own country, science and mathematics, etc., much less the history of other countries, or even basic logical reasoning. Do not get hung up on illogical behavior you observe; it is what it is, and you aren't going to 'educate' anyone. Minimize your interaction with officialdom. Never drive anywhere, never purchase a vehicle. Take public transportation when you can, use taxis or hired cars/drivers when that isn't an option. If you speak/read Thai, never let on that you understand what Thais are saying/reading/writing. Cultivate a poker-face. This applies both to random Thais with whom you interact, your SO, and (especially) officialdom. Never tell anyone, including your SO, how much money you have/make, where your money is located, etc. If you have to prove an income for a retirement visa or proof of sufficient funds for visiting, have a throwaway bank account you can use only for those purposes, completely apart from any bank accounts where your main income is stored. Use a completely different bank for this purpose. If you are in a serious relationship with a Thai, and you're so inclined, do set up a life insurance policy, will, etc. But do not tell the intended beneficiaries that you have done this; arrange it so that if you pass away, they will be contacted and will receive the benefits at that point in time, with no incentive to arrange your premature death. Have at least one trusted family member, friend, or lawyer outside Thailand who is an emergency contact with power of attorney to make decisions on your behalf in the event you become disabled to the point where you are unable to do so yourself. Do not ever grant this kind of power over your affairs to any Thai (even a Thai attorney) or local farang, under any circumstances. Make appointments at least an hour in advance of when you actually expect the meeting to take place; be prepared for the odd Thai who will show up on time, but don't ever expect them to show up at the appointed time. Have both an air and an overland escape plan; ensure you have all the necessary visas to execute this escape plan. Have at least one additional form of official ID from your country of origin in case your passport is lost, damaged, stolen, or confiscated. Stock up on nonperishable food and drinking water. Have at least one month's supply of each on hand at all times, replenish as needed. Do not get involved in any sort of business venture with Thais or with local farangs, ever. Even though you see Thais breaking the law every day, in every way, do your best to adhere to the letter of the law. Avoid situations in which you might be likely to need law enforcement assistance, because you won't get it (or, alternately, you'll get it good and hard). If you must fill out a police report for something like a lost/stolen passport, never volunteer any information beyond the bare minimum. Carry at all times a laminated, full-size, high-resolution reproductions of the personal information section of your passport, and your current visa or visa-waiver stamp. Never gamble, bet, or play games of chance with Thais or local farangs, even if it's stated that no money is changing hands. Avoid any area in which Thais or local farangs are doing so. Great post I'm with you on everything but the drivng- no Thai is ever going to drive me if I can help it Agreed, but while my wife's driving terrifies me, so I will always drive if possible when with her, I live in fear of running over a Thai kid/ kids on a m'bike that drives into my path without looking ( as they do in the countryside ) and being beaten to death by the villagers. If for only that reason I'll happily let Thais drive me in a bus. Never had to regret that so far. The one about an escape plan reminds me of the one I had to get out of Saudi in a hurry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperylobster Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) In the circumstances this Guy has been a real Gentleman and i admire his calm and graceful attitude considering what he's lost and been through. Whilst such cases almost always hit the headlines at some stage and show all the very deep and disturbing tendencies of Thai society, it would be interesting to know what percentage of Expat's suffer in this way in comparison to those that experience good marriage's until their life expiry date comes around. Overall; i would expect such percentage to be on a par with what happens to many Men in their own country's, where whilst the laws are much stronger and Lawyer's much more honest, Men normally end up a lot worse off than their spouse's when things go wrong in the marriage. The difference is that the Wife has the blessing of the Western Courts when she walks away with the stash and there has been no corruption involved at any level. Most of the marriages in the west are like with like. Most of the foreigner marriages here are old, fat and bald (ing) with young and slim. So I'm thinking almost all the old/young marriages are going to fail, unless she's patient enough to wait for him to die. ...and not a thing in common between the two. Sad truth. My wife meets several thai ladies, who are looking for the fat cow (money). Each one of them has many, many, many younger boyfriends...whom they actually live with, and sleep with. Problem is the money. They all feel the need to show each other that they have access to big money, cars, houses...etc. If we ask them about love...they only change the subject. It seems love is not a requirement. Just to clear this....My wife is fifty and I am sixty. She is divorced and would not tolerate a thai husband who had secret wives....so she literally threw 3 properties (one is 18 rai) to become independant. I met her in a furniture store and big C. I just could not believe that good people existed anymore..until I met her. We rent, and our marriage is only between us..not a government, nor a church, nor a temple. One in a million...we are both old, overweight and own very little....but our love knows no bounds. Forget the sin sot. If you are marrying a lady who has been divorced/has children. Regardless of the foolish stories you hear ton TV about tradition, face, customs etc....you are being bamboozled. Women here are tossed away, and there are no laws protecting them. The men here control all the laws. Do not think, for a minute, that any laws here will be used for your benefit. If you find an honest woman..(there are more than a few)...RENT...do not buy here. This place has no inkling of "property" ownership. You are just not allowed...plain and simple. Edited September 21, 2015 by slipperylobster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natway09 Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Lost more money in my last marriage break up through Australian courts than I can possibly lose here. Caveat Mentor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Lost more money in my last marriage break up through Australian courts than I can possibly lose here. Caveat Mentor I'd bet that applies to a lot of the retired expats on TV. If they were lucky, their kids were grown up and they got 50% of the house value when it was sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperylobster Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) Lost more money in my last marriage break up through Australian courts than I can possibly lose here. Caveat Mentor Join the club. I lost 200,000 in the USA... a land where Law is supposed to work. Here it absolutely does not. So why buy? If it does not work back home, it sure as heck won't work here. The dumbos that go out and buy, are just reinforcing a lawless system of corruption. I bet my hat that if everyone would just stop buying for one year...that Thailand would have to come up with better "rights of ownership".. Not to mention that all these properties end up being mismanaged by uneducated (have to say this....hookers). Bankers and moneylenders don't even bait their hooks......they just haul in the dough. Edited September 21, 2015 by slipperylobster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warriorbangkok Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 A lot of farangs on here bashing Thailand. If you don't like it here, then go back home. Oops! That's right. Home is a LOT worse than Thailand isn't it? No farang on here would ever want to live back in England or the US after living here. Stop complaining! Sorry! Did I just hit a nerve? Did I make you cry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 A lot of farangs on here bashing Thailand. If you don't like it here, then go back home. Oops! That's right. Home is a LOT worse than Thailand isn't it? No farang on here would ever want to live back in England or the US after living here. Stop complaining! Sorry! Did I just hit a nerve? Did I make you cry? Nothing wrong with venting anonymously. Can't criticise LOS to a Thai wife/ family. On the other hand, why read posts that criticise LOS if you don't like them, just pass by- soooooo easy to use the scroll function. Complaining about complainers, LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Lost more money in my last marriage break up through Australian courts than I can possibly lose here. Caveat Mentor Join the club. I lost 200,000 in the USA... a land where Law is supposed to work. Here it absolutely does not. So why buy? If it does not work back home, it sure as heck won't work here. The dumbos that go out and buy, are just reinforcing a lawless system of corruption. I bet my hat that if everyone would just stop buying for one year...that Thailand would have to come up with better "rights of ownership".. Not to mention that all these properties end up being mismanaged by uneducated (have to say this....hookers). Bankers and moneylenders don't even bait their hooks......they just haul in the dough. The dumbos that go out and buy, are just reinforcing a lawless system of corruption like, like, like, like, ad infinitum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperylobster Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 A lot of farangs on here bashing Thailand. If you don't like it here, then go back home. Oops! That's right. Home is a LOT worse than Thailand isn't it? No farang on here would ever want to live back in England or the US after living here. Stop complaining! Sorry! Did I just hit a nerve? Did I make you cry? No..you are not correct with this... The property laws are not in place to protect those of us that love this country, and would love to stay and buy. You easily bend over and and put your face in the ground... facing the problems, and discussing issues...is what will help this country. Nobody is crying...except for people like you, that accept things as they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiesilver Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 let this be a wake-up call to everyone marrying their beloved Thai wives, is it really love? and how far would your wife go before she chose money over you!Unfortunately the stick and carrot rule the hearts of Thai people, and the only love that seems real is Thai rak Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeckosDiving Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) A lot of farangs on here bashing Thailand. If you don't like it here, then go back home. Oops! That's right. Home is a LOT worse than Thailand isn't it? No farang on here would ever want to live back in England or the US after living here. Stop complaining! Sorry! Did I just hit a nerve? Did I make you cry? Edited September 21, 2015 by GeckosDiving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperylobster Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) A lot of farangs on here bashing Thailand. If you don't like it here, then go back home. Oops! That's right. Home is a LOT worse than Thailand isn't it? No farang on here would ever want to live back in England or the US after living here. Stop complaining! Sorry! Did I just hit a nerve? Did I make you cry? Nothing wrong with venting anonymously. Can't criticise LOS to a Thai wife/ family. On the other hand, why read posts that criticise LOS if you don't like them, just pass by- soooooo easy to use the scroll function. Complaining about complainers, LOL. Agree. The simple minded come up with canned replies such as " why bash thailand? why you no go home your country?" Hilarious. Without two sides of the story...we would have absolutely no discussion...except for foolery like..."we love everything" and "nothing is wrong with this story"... boring people, with no opinions? As for property ownership..there are foreigners that are in this loop. They want you to buy...because they have these stoopid little wives that work as brokers and realtors and such. Lying to good people...that think they can invest in property here. Poor souls. Edited September 21, 2015 by slipperylobster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperx Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 let this be a wake-up call to everyone marrying their beloved Thai wives, is it really love? and how far would your wife go before she chose money over you! Unfortunately the stick and carrot rule the hearts of Thai people, and the only love that seems real is Thai rak Thai. If she wanted money she could have just divorced and taken one of the houses to sell on the open market. No 80% markdowns, no 48% interest to pay back and she would not be in prison, the children would still have a mother and she would have a life. So that leads you to a different place which is the reality of being herself conned, cajoled, threatened and all the other tricks played by these marauding gangs targeting comparatively rich foreigners which they think will just run home and anyway get no justice in a system they control with the money they have stolen and connections in the justice system and particularly the lawyers Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 let this be a wake-up call to everyone marrying their beloved Thai wives, is it really love? and how far would your wife go before she chose money over you! Unfortunately the stick and carrot rule the hearts of Thai people, and the only love that seems real is Thai rak Thai. Prince Charles defined the problem of love when he said "Whatever love means..." Whatever, love does not last, as it is usually lust, and we should all ask ourselves if we LIKE the person we are marrying, and if we will still LIKE each other after love has gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperylobster Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 let this be a wake-up call to everyone marrying their beloved Thai wives, is it really love? and how far would your wife go before she chose money over you! Unfortunately the stick and carrot rule the hearts of Thai people, and the only love that seems real is Thai rak Thai. Prince Charles defined the problem of love when he said "Whatever love means..." Whatever, love does not last, as it is usually lust, and we should all ask ourselves if we LIKE the person we are marrying, and if we will still LIKE each other after love has gone. There's the rub... A wife should be closer than the best friend you never had. After all, you will be sharing the bathroom, the toothbrush, and living in the same room for an eternity. Might as well be friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorn Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 All I can say is be careful. There are a lot of older "gentlemen" on this very forum who like to preach to mostly younger crowd how Thailand is not cheap and how you need a lot of money to live here. The truth is Thailand is extremely cheap and anyone telling you otherwise is probably being ripped off by their wife and family. I am a 34 year old guy and have yet to find anywhere in the world with a better cost of living/quality of life ratio than Thailand and I've been to over 50 countries. How long have you spent in these countries? Don't see how you can judge without spending at least 6 months there so the I've been to 50 countries is meaningless. Plus as others have said things change when you have children. Education value for money here is appalling. Actually I have no idea at all what you are considering good value for money here and good quality of life. It would also vary considerably based on where in the country you live, just as it would depending on what city/town/village you lived in the 50 countries you have been to. Many things in Thailand are cheap compared to first world cities but Thailand is a middle income country so that is to be expected. Compare prices here to countries with similar incomes and things are not so cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 All I can say is be careful. There are a lot of older "gentlemen" on this very forum who like to preach to mostly younger crowd how Thailand is not cheap and how you need a lot of money to live here. The truth is Thailand is extremely cheap and anyone telling you otherwise is probably being ripped off by their wife and family. I am a 34 year old guy and have yet to find anywhere in the world with a better cost of living/quality of life ratio than Thailand and I've been to over 50 countries. How long have you spent in these countries? Don't see how you can judge without spending at least 6 months there so the I've been to 50 countries is meaningless. Plus as others have said things change when you have children. Education value for money here is appalling. Actually I have no idea at all what you are considering good value for money here and good quality of life. It would also vary considerably based on where in the country you live, just as it would depending on what city/town/village you lived in the 50 countries you have been to. Many things in Thailand are cheap compared to first world cities but Thailand is a middle income country so that is to be expected. Compare prices here to countries with similar incomes and things are not so cheap. Hmmm. I've lived in 7 countries for over a year and visited 6 more, but Thailand would be the cheapest that you can enjoy yourself in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Off topic posts have been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGareth2 Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 the story does not add up something is missing the wife did not benefit why did she do it for no monetary return? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 the story does not add up something is missing the wife did not benefit why did she do it for no monetary return? I'm not going to read 22 pages to check, but I think she got into debt with bad people and shafted him to pay them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperx Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 the story does not add up something is missing the wife did not benefit why did she do it for no monetary return? I'm not going to read 22 pages to check, but I think she got into debt with bad people and shafted him to pay them off. I think people need to think about exactly that. The answer is to follow the money. The money ended up with the money lenders who distributed some to facilitate the fraud and no doubt are now distributing a little more to fight me. It is not hard to see these things and there is evidence to support that supposition. However proving the complicity of third party facilitators is very hard since the money lenders bank accounts show only cash in and cash out to leave no trace. With tens of millions a month in and out I think it is clear what they are doing but it doesn't wash with the courts. Practically the only way in the Thai courts to prove someone knows is by admission as there is never a record of corrupt payments nor is there any discovery even if there were. Even overwhelming evidence is not enough and the gang members will not give evidence against each other either. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slipperx Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 One more point. Though often the case she was not gambling. My youngest boy was just a few months old when this started and she was looking after him pretty much all the time. She was not out at night and was home with the kids of with me nearly all the time - such is normal with a young family. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spermwhale Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 "Don't come here," he says, but now he's married a new girl half his age and still living in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert24 Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 "Don't come here," he says, but now he's married a new girl half his age and still living in Thailand. maybe he meant Phuket since he stays now in Bangkok otherwise that doesn't make sense. Also in the first sentence in the movie, he says he was looking for beautiful place to retire with strong rule of law. I mean everyone knows that Thailand doesn't have strong rule of law so why settle here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theguyfromanotherforum Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 "Don't come here," he says, but now he's married a new girl half his age and still living in Thailand. maybe he meant Phuket since he stays now in Bangkok otherwise that doesn't make sense.Also in the first sentence in the movie, he says he was looking for beautiful place to retire with strong rule of law. I mean everyone knows that Thailand doesn't have strong rule of law so why settle here? Because he's a gentle farang and likes "kittens". Same reason why old people here are saying don't come here it's expensive because while wife and family are slowly ripping them off. You'd think they care about your well bring but it's just jealousy because they were not smart with money and p away their life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) I've been a bit hard on the guy ( didn't know he was actually contributing to this thread ) but IMO the mistake was to live in Phuket, one of the worst places in Thailand for such things. There are plenty of places that are beautiful, but without the bad stuff. The Gulf coast is a good example. Even Hua Hin would be better than Phuket. Edited September 21, 2015 by thaibeachlovers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongfarang Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 My basic rules for here work for me, Dont buy property, houses are anyway cheaper to rent than condo,s Dont get married, infact dont even get too serious with them Dont get financially involved with thais, male or female Myself i dont even rent women, most only target your finances either on the short or long term plan, it takes a while for them to realise there will be no flow of money and then they are gone after finding the next project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prbkk Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 My basic rules for here work for me, Dont buy property, houses are anyway cheaper to rent than condo,s Dont get married, infact dont even get too serious with them Dont get financially involved with thais, male or female Myself i dont even rent women, most only target your finances either on the short or long term plan, it takes a while for them to realise there will be no flow of money and then they are gone after finding the next project. Sounds a bit dull: a bit of 'help yourself' in a rented room... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongfarang Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) My basic rules for here work for me, Dont buy property, houses are anyway cheaper to rent than condo,s Dont get married, infact dont even get too serious with them Dont get financially involved with thais, male or female Myself i dont even rent women, most only target your finances either on the short or long term plan, it takes a while for them to realise there will be no flow of money and then they are gone after finding the next project. Sounds a bit dull: a bit of 'help yourself' in a rented room... Not at all dull, i rent a nice house for 5k per month with garden gated driveway and security cameras, i could,nt stay in a condo or room as i work at home and often have visitors, Girls change often, most start telling lies either from the get go or after a few months, actually its not the lies which bother me so much..just the fact they think i believe them. Edited to say, i,m bored with being asked to help opening a coffee shop, must have had 15 such requests, this happening to others also? Edited September 21, 2015 by tingtongfarang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 My basic rules for here work for me, Dont buy property, houses are anyway cheaper to rent than condo,s Dont get married, infact dont even get too serious with them Dont get financially involved with thais, male or female Myself i dont even rent women, most only target your finances either on the short or long term plan, it takes a while for them to realise there will be no flow of money and then they are gone after finding the next project. Sounds a bit dull: a bit of 'help yourself' in a rented room... Well, you know what they say, women are all right, but there's nothing like the real thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
Recommended Posts