small money and being young but happy

[phuketruski]

Theres been alot of discussion about young guys living frugal here in bangkok and phuket pattaya etc but still eating 3 times a day, having the occasional beer and a happy relationship.

I say why not, they are young and have seen the economy in the west fail on them making a good job near impossible to find and a house completely out of there affordability so instead of working a dead end job they soak up the sun at the beach in LOS and enjoy what the country has too offer .

51 hours a week in a factory, bills , no women VS a beach at my finger tips beautiful friendly women , and cheap liquor i know which one i would have.

[MaeJoMTB]

Fun now, but what do you do when you're ill or over 50?

No pension, no medical cover ........... and they won't want you in Thailand then.

If I were to live my life again (almost over now).

I'd work in the west, ignore western women completely, holiday in Thailand.

Then retire and have full time fun later in life.

Edited October 23, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[Don Mega]

So you are saying a young lad who cannot work a job to pay the bills/buy a house is better off in Thailand.

How does he support himself in Thailand ?

[Aussieroaming]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

[phuketruski]

So you are saying a young lad who cannot work a job to pay the bills/buy a house is better off in Thailand.

How does he support himself in Thailand ?

well if hes young people will often see hes poor and opted for a different lifestyle and maybe let him couchsurf for long periods.

[phuketruski]

So you are saying a young lad who cannot work a job to pay the bills/buy a house is better off in Thailand.

How does he support himself in Thailand ?

minimum wage in australia is 17 odd dollars and a house is getting closer to a million everyday.

working hours arent getting less they are increasing plus taxes are going up along with unemployment.

perhaps they are better off frugal in thailand.

[CharlieH]

[Don Mega]

So you are saying a young lad who cannot work a job to pay the bills/buy a house is better off in Thailand.

How does he support himself in Thailand ?

minimum wage in australia is 17 odd dollars and a house is getting closer to a million everyday.

working hours arent getting less they are increasing plus taxes are going up along with unemployment.

perhaps they are better off frugal in thailand.

Plenty of affordable housing in Australia massively under the million mark if you are prepared to move away from Sydney.

What you are saying though is A young lad who is on minimum wage in should say <deleted> it all and move to Thailand, how does he support himself legally in Thailand ?

[Crossy]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

+1 ^^^.

Unfortunately this is the case.

I and many others have worked long and hard (I and many others still work long and hard) to get into the position of being able to live in a tropical paradise with a lovely lady.

Whilst I still work, I can pick and choose the contracts I take and those I reject (Riyadh have finally stopped phoning).

I have a home I could only dream of owning in the UK (yes, I know, before anyone pipes up), a sensible savings plan and a job I actually enjoy (except when it's hot, windy, muddy, dusty, wet or all of the above).

Life is as close to perfect as it can get. But I'm not 20 something.

[phuketruski]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

try being 23 years old when a GFC hit and your applying for 50 jobs a day with no response then you would see where im coming from.

[stoneyboy]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

+1 ^^^.

Unfortunately this is the case.

I and many others have worked long and hard (I and many others still work long and hard) to get into the position of being able to live in a tropical paradise with a lovely lady.

Whilst I still work, I can pick and choose the contracts I take and those I reject (Riyadh have finally stopped phoning).

I have a home I could only dream of owning in the UK (yes, I know, before anyone pipes up), a sensible savings plan and a job I actually enjoy (except when it's hot, windy, muddy, dusty, wet or all of the above).

Life is as close to perfect as it can get. But I'm not 20 something.

And on the flip side people like myself who has lived in Thailand since the age of 29 have also done relatively well,but again I'm no English teacher or 8000 baht a month cheap skate.

I have been in rotational work for a long while and this affords me to return home every 21/21 or 28/28.

This current downturn is biting but it would be biting more if all my bills were in the UK.

I never moved to Thailand with the idea of lowering my standards of living and I haven't,but when times do become harder I have no issues kicking back in the sun with my feet up and tightening the purse strings,this is made slightly more difficult as I have kids but I'm better off in Thailand than the UK in times of austerity.

[NickJ]

Our resident Major has hit the nail on the head.......earn....save......then come here. Yet Reward yourself with a trip here and there.........I was lucky. been here, spent 90% of my hi income earning years here. paid off for me. But I was in the right place at the right time. That doesnt happen much nowadays..........Use Thailand l well and for the most part, She will still be here.

By well....dont get hitched and have kids before its what you want and can afford.

[phuketruski]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

+1 ^^^.

Unfortunately this is the case.

I and many others have worked long and hard (I and many others still work long and hard) to get into the position of being able to live in a tropical paradise with a lovely lady.

Whilst I still work, I can pick and choose the contracts I take and those I reject (Riyadh have finally stopped phoning).

I have a home I could only dream of owning in the UK (yes, I know, before anyone pipes up), a sensible savings plan and a job I actually enjoy (except when it's hot, windy, muddy, dusty, wet or all of the above).

Life is as close to perfect as it can get. But I'm not 20 something.

maybe ill get a good job and be old and boring but now i need to get the women beachs and boozing out the way..

[samsensam]

great idea; do nothing but have fun for 10 years. they will have no work ethic, nothing to put on a cv, no money in the bank and no chance of decent employment.

work hard , save your money and then enjoy.

[huawei]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

try being 23 years old when a GFC hit and your applying for 50 jobs a day with no response then you would see where im coming from.

Look. Been there done that, earlier age than you, came here with nothing..I am now 58 years of age..if you can't make money here..you will have to go home..I look back and think how it may have been if I hadn't have been lucky in employment here..getting to the age I am now, with no money...I shudder..

Anyway the novelty will wear off... You need to get a skill..Australia is a place that has affordable adult education ..

We all go through periods of uncertainty..it's not unique to you or your generation..

Enjoy Thailand whilst your young but realise you will have to go home..

[innerspace]

The smart ones will get some work here and have a good time surrounded by great things while still earning a living and opening prospects for the future.

I came here at 19 on my gap year, never made it to uni, worked hard, run several businesses from the beaches to the cities and now living comfortably in my 30s with a good business and family here. Many years left to secure my old age.

Maybe I could earn more in UK but crisis timing wasn't in my favour and way of life would be much worse.

Sure sitting around doing nothing for decades will screw you for life. That's the same the world over and nothing to do with Thailand. Few years of fun no probs and living sustainably no probs.

[abhaya]

Don't listen to all these grumpy old gits who to tell you work to hard all your life, save up and then when you are able to retire you get cancer or heart attack or just don't have the physical stamina to do all the things you wanted to when you were young. The future is uncertain but death is always impending and inevitable and you don't want regrets. Of course if you really enjoy what you are doing in the process of getting it together working towards a future goes without saying, but I have seen to many friends and family who have worked hard to get somewhere and towards the end ask ask themselves <deleted> was this all about?

[JLCrab]

https://youtu.be/u1YB8oOLsjw?t=20

[TheKnave]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

What is this 'burden on someone else' you speak of? How can I achieve this?

[phuketruski]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

my old man worked his arse of in australia was miserable day in day out and blew it all in the TAB .

rather skip the work and skip the TAB thank you very much.

[1FinickyOne]

couch surfing is fine for as long as your host enjoys having you there - - but where do you earn the money to eat and enjoy the women and booze you talk of?

Hey, I have no gripe about anyone enjoying themselves - I am happy for you - I would imagine it can work for a little while but you will likely need balance in your life. Being 23 and living off others and grubbing a couch and beach bumming is cute - there comes a point where if done w/o your own funds it becomes pathetic… enjoy while you are young - but keep in mind that all the old farts on here were 23 and cute at one time too… they would not look so good couch surfing in their 40s…

Eventually, I hope you find some work and then come back and continue to enjoy your vacations here - maybe even get a profession where you can help others and feel fulfilled in both your work and party life…

[springheeled jack]

while I can understand what this young man is all about you cannot live on next to nothing in Thailand you must have a source of income bumming around and living off others is not the right thing to do ,I am not a killjoy but there are so many bummers in Thailand as it is some living off immoral earnings I am not about to encourage this young man to do the same .

[onni4me]

Don't listen to all these grumpy old gits who to tell you work to hard all your life, save up and then when you are able to retire you get cancer or heart attack or just don't have the physical stamina to do all the things you wanted to when you were young. The future is uncertain but death is always impending and inevitable and you don't want regrets.

We all should remember that we can't live anybody else's life.

I have personally had friends die at their late 20's and a bit over 40's. One guy - died when he was 43 - was constantly talking what he will do/start doing when he will retire. Never saw that day. One guy, had money and so on, killed himself at 65 when he no longer could see anything to wait for in the future. Life had passed and he had no love, no future and no-one to care for him. And more importantly he had taken care of his parents when they were sick and old. What did he get from all his efforts? Not much.

Another thing is the economy. How it goes in Europe is that everyone has to worry whether or not he's got a job next year or even next month. Are we for the economy or is economy for us? As I see it, money in itself is no longer an asset (compared to gold or other real assets) rather than a way to place resources, build infrastructure, provide housing etc. As I see it going, at some point the governments have to come up with something that benefits the people, not the other way around. When automation makes the end for manual labor, how are we going to go from that? The reality is that there will be no jobs for everyone.

Question to answer is depending on how the OP or anyone sees his future. I can't answer for anyone but I will say that mostly we regret things we didn't do, not the things we did.

Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it."

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying

[phuketruski]

couch surfing is fine for as long as your host enjoys having you there - - but where do you earn the money to eat and enjoy the women and booze you talk of?

Hey, I have no gripe about anyone enjoying themselves - I am happy for you - I would imagine it can work for a little while but you will likely need balance in your life. Being 23 and living off others and grubbing a couch and beach bumming is cute - there comes a point where if done w/o your own funds it becomes pathetic enjoy while you are young - but keep in mind that all the old farts on here were 23 and cute at one time too they would not look so good couch surfing in their 40s

Eventually, I hope you find some work and then come back and continue to enjoy your vacations here - maybe even get a profession where you can help others and feel fulfilled in both your work and party life

the beach is free, thai women host, and i can cook noodles and eggs in the rice cooker, booze is easy .

just learned in kalgoorlie western australia long time is 1000 australian dollars to.

so im living a millionaires lifestyle and didnt know it.

[Ghostnigel]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

+1 ^^^.

Unfortunately this is the case.

I and many others have worked long and hard (I and many others still work long and hard) to get into the position of being able to live in a tropical paradise with a lovely lady.

Whilst I still work, I can pick and choose the contracts I take and those I reject (Riyadh have finally stopped phoning).

I have a home I could only dream of owning in the UK (yes, I know, before anyone pipes up), a sensible savings plan and a job I actually enjoy (except when it's hot, windy, muddy, dusty, wet or all of the above).

Life is as close to perfect as it can get. But I'm not 20 something.

I think if he wants to live in Thailand and be happy (for now) good luck to him....some people can live on the cheap, and be quite content. You have worked all your life, fine, I have too, until I said to myself "I have had enough of busting my balls", I'm off. But all people are different I guess, and seem to get by on little or nothing, or maybe he has a rich family that can give him money too live. I know a few like that here, their parents have a business, and give them 'pocket money' to go live their dream because the parents grafted and want their boy to be happy.

Sorry, but just because you are a moderator, doesn't mean your life is the only way to live.

I wish I had had the b@lls to do it when I was a puppy.....

[Beechboy]

A good education is money in the bank.

[JLCrab]

Gee -- and there was just a Farang Pub topic:

"I thought Thai women did not like dead beats"

[CrummyJuggler]

Another angle is respect. Your gf may love you if you never hold traditional employment but she won't respect you. Her family won't respect you. Your family will love you but not respect you. Your friends will tolerate you until the day you ask to borrow money. Strangers will laugh at your decisions. Future employers won't give you a chance. Better to earn it first.

[phuketruski]

Yeah and in twenty years those young guys will have no career, sweet f all saved and be well on their way to being a burden on someone else. It's a fact of life that people have to work and contribute to society.

There is the short term picture and the long term view.

+1 ^^^.

Unfortunately this is the case.

I and many others have worked long and hard (I and many others still work long and hard) to get into the position of being able to live in a tropical paradise with a lovely lady.

Whilst I still work, I can pick and choose the contracts I take and those I reject (Riyadh have finally stopped phoning).

I have a home I could only dream of owning in the UK (yes, I know, before anyone pipes up), a sensible savings plan and a job I actually enjoy (except when it's hot, windy, muddy, dusty, wet or all of the above).

Life is as close to perfect as it can get. But I'm not 20 something.

I think if he wants to live in Thailand and be happy (for now) good luck to him....some people can live on the cheap, and be quite content. You have worked all your life, fine, I have too, until I said to myself "I have had enough of busting my balls", I'm off. But all people are different I guess, and seem to get by on little or nothing, or maybe he has a rich family that can give him money too live. I know a few like that here, their parents have a business, and give them 'pocket money' to go live their dream because the parents grafted and want their boy to be happy.

Sorry, but just because you are a moderator, doesn't mean your life is the only way to live.

I wish I had had the b@lls to do it when I was a puppy.....

i can get buy on a few satos , noodles, coffee, satay sticks in a girls bed or on a mates floor or on a beach.

my father gives me 25 aussie dollars a week not much i know but its better than nuthing.

[georgemandm]

Theres been alot of discussion about young guys living frugal here in bangkok and phuket pattaya etc but still eating 3 times a day, having the occasional beer and a happy relationship.

I say why not, they are young and have seen the economy in the west fail on them making a good job near impossible to find and a house completely out of there affordability so instead of working a dead end job they soak up the sun at the beach in LOS and enjoy what the country has too offer .

51 hours a week in a factory, bills , no women VS a beach at my finger tips beautiful friendly women , and cheap liquor i know which one i would have.

Are you joking me trying to put thailand with the western world give me a break how the hell can you live here if you are young and no money.

I for one could never have come here young because I live in one of the best places on this earth were you can work and make good money now but you have to work hard .

To day the some of the young people not like hard work like the Thais .

So don't try and come on here and say you can have a good life in thailand if you are young it is impossible to do it so if you are young go home work hard and come back here when you are 55 years old ok .