Starting all over again in Thailand - what would you do different?

[fang37]

Before I lived in CNX - now Fang. Bought properties in both.

Again, 1/2 my time in Chiang Rai & 1/2 in Pattaya.

Next time - rent. Just more flexible should I change my mind.

A live-in - probably.

Blood family - sooner forgotten the better.

Retirement visa - same.

Edited November 6, 2015 by fang37

[stickylies]

Wish I had not wasted my time with farang women. Moved to Thailand at 25 instead of 36. Thats about it.

fair enough but do keep in mind that your mum is farang woman too.... and so is your granny...

And how do you know Im not Thai?

my inborn BS detector told me...

[baneko]

Wish I had not wasted my time with farang women. Moved to Thailand at 25 instead of 36. Thats about it.

fair enough but do keep in mind that your mum is farang woman too.... and so is your granny...

And how do you know Im not Thai?

my inborn BS detector told me...

Is that why you liked chilling with mum and gran? Maybe there were other reasons. ☺

[tom21]

if I had to do it again I would drink less like nil and go with more girls. lets face it, it is cheaper to hire than buy

[micmichd]

You can't buy a Thai girl anyway, she'll never be your property.

[fang37]

You can't buy a Thai girl anyway, she'll never be your property.

OK, a 30 year lease?

[Gary A]

The first major mistake losers make is thinking that Thai ladies are submissive. The farang male may be the king of the home but you better realize that the Thai lady is the queen and sometimes the king must listen to the queen.

[bwpage3]

What’s the sense of wishing what you would do differently when there is still time to do things differently?

If you moved to Thailand and got yourself in a position where you have no choice, then there is no one at fault except yourself.

However, if you find out that life 10 years later isn’t what you hoped or expected, make a change.

Now it is a fact some people were sex blind and moved to Thailand thinking this was Utopia as long as they could get some, never realizing the years would click by rapidly and all costs would rise.

Never understanding the social, economic and language problems living in the third world would bring.

Never understanding the constant stress of visa hassles and everything else.

Most of all never understanding Thai officials never wanted you there in the first place.

If you got yourself trapped in a one room flat for 3,000 thb a month the rest of your life you probably deserve it.

If you went to Thailand with no education and skill, then expected to live like a Prince on a teacher’s salary, you probably deserve it.

If you are smart and own a successful business or having an expat job that pays enormous, good on you, you probably deserve it and can afford to live there.

Everyone has their OWN reasons for moving, staying or leaving.

I don’t look back and wish I could change anything. It was one hell of a fun ride for 10+ years.

But for ME, things changed and I wanted more. I wanted more for my wife and kid.

Unlike many, my wife is a dream and my best friend. Of course I want to give them the very best I can and that is not being stuck in Isaan.

Moved back to Florida USA.

Things changed so we adapted and we changed.

My family never wants to go back to their own country.

Me either. Super happy with everything we have here and life is not stressful with language problems, third world problems or VISA runs

You can do things differently today.

[mpa]

Money makes the world go round. You forgot to mention this.

[JLCrab]

I am a 30 year resident of Florida. I go back once a year for 3 weeks -- 2 weeks is not enough and 4 weeks is too much. My unofficial Thai daughter is doing great in school and can speak 3 world languages plus Thai. I just got my retirement extension good through December 2016. I enjoy speaking Thai every day. I would only relocate to Florida if Medicare reasons made that necessary. At least for my current Florida county of residence, I am permanently excused from jury duty due to NGO activity.

Doing things differently is the thing to do when things haven't worked out -- when things might start not to work out for me, that's what I'll do.

BTW to the comment about Thailand that they do not want us here, I note according to Wikipedia there are about 240,000 Thai-born persons living in the USA and would ask a Thai person here in Thailand, should they ever question my presence, whether we in the USA should kick out all those Thais?

Edited November 6, 2015 by JLCrab

[daveAustin]

Not get on that flight. [emoji39]

[anotheruser]

What’s the sense of wishing what you would do differently when there is still time to do things differently?

If you moved to Thailand and got yourself in a position where you have no choice, then there is no one at fault except yourself.

However, if you find out that life 10 years later isn’t what you hoped or expected, make a change.

Now it is a fact some people were sex blind and moved to Thailand thinking this was Utopia as long as they could get some, never realizing the years would click by rapidly and all costs would rise.

Never understanding the social, economic and language problems living in the third world would bring.

Never understanding the constant stress of visa hassles and everything else.

Most of all never understanding Thai officials never wanted you there in the first place.

If you got yourself trapped in a one room flat for 3,000 thb a month the rest of your life you probably deserve it.

If you went to Thailand with no education and skill, then expected to live like a Prince on a teacher’s salary, you probably deserve it.

If you are smart and own a successful business or having an expat job that pays enormous, good on you, you probably deserve it and can afford to live there.

Everyone has their OWN reasons for moving, staying or leaving.

I don’t look back and wish I could change anything. It was one hell of a fun ride for 10+ years.

But for ME, things changed and I wanted more. I wanted more for my wife and kid.

Unlike many, my wife is a dream and my best friend. Of course I want to give them the very best I can and that is not being stuck in Isaan.

Moved back to Florida USA.

Things changed so we adapted and we changed.

My family never wants to go back to their own country.

Me either. Super happy with everything we have here and life is not stressful with language problems, third world problems or VISA runs

You can do things differently today.

One of the points I can think of about saying what you would do differently is helping others avoid the pit falls you may have went through. Sometimes looking at what a person has done in the past is helpful for those to move forward in the future.

It has been an interesting thread to see what people would do differently. It made me think a little bit to come up with what i would have done differently in the past. When you force yourself to articulate some of your past short comings or missteps it is easier to not repeat them. Maybe it wasn't even a mistake but something you didn't do but would have done.

One of the things I stated I would have done in the past still applies today. I would have secured natural resources when they were 1/3 of the price they are today. Timber isn't getting cheaper so this is valid even as we speak going into the future.

Not everybody who regrets some of the things they have done here are now stuck here. If past results never made any difference to the future coaches wouldn't show reviews to the team. To go through life with out learning anything from the past is somewhat of a baffling concept. If you would do absolutely nothing different more power to you.

[55Jay]

Florida seems to come up quite a bit in threads. A popular place to leave. Or relocate to.

Edited November 8, 2015 by 55Jay

[big carl]

I would try to budget myself a little better than I did. I am OK with income but I was eating up savings like there was no tomorrow, I now limit myself to one vacation a year.

[smokie36]

I do nothing different anywhere...jog on if you want or need to change.

[mpa]

1) If you moved to Thailand and got yourself in a position where you have no choice, then there is no one at fault except yourself.

2) If you got yourself trapped in a one room flat for 3,000 thb a month the rest of your life you probably deserve it.

3) If you went to Thailand with no education and skill, then expected to live like a Prince on a teacher’s salary, you probably deserve it.

4) You can do things differently today.

1) Actually it was the opposite for me, I moved here because there was no future elsewhere.

2) 2000 and they're offering discount for a year, sounds fine to me.

3) Never wanted to live like a prince, not in Sukhumvit nor in some 10k flat which I couldnt afford anyway.

4) Given the fact you got funds you can do whatever you like, literary if you know what I mean. There are alternatives but not for everyone.

[RolandRat]

1. Spent more time "appreciating" the Thai female population before settling down and marrying one.

2. Rented for longer and explored different areas.

3. Never bought property.

[micmichd]

I would have made my conclusions more drastic about what it means that I decided pro Thailand and contra Germany, and that from the date of my decision in January 2013 no Germans would have any rights to be in my way.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

What’s the sense of wishing what you would do differently when there is still time to do things differently?

If you moved to Thailand and got yourself in a position where you have no choice, then there is no one at fault except yourself.

However, if you find out that life 10 years later isn’t what you hoped or expected, make a change.

Now it is a fact some people were sex blind and moved to Thailand thinking this was Utopia as long as they could get some, never realizing the years would click by rapidly and all costs would rise.

Never understanding the social, economic and language problems living in the third world would bring.

Never understanding the constant stress of visa hassles and everything else.

Most of all never understanding Thai officials never wanted you there in the first place.

If you got yourself trapped in a one room flat for 3,000 thb a month the rest of your life you probably deserve it.

If you went to Thailand with no education and skill, then expected to live like a Prince on a teacher’s salary, you probably deserve it.

If you are smart and own a successful business or having an expat job that pays enormous, good on you, you probably deserve it and can afford to live there.

Everyone has their OWN reasons for moving, staying or leaving.

I don’t look back and wish I could change anything. It was one hell of a fun ride for 10+ years.

But for ME, things changed and I wanted more. I wanted more for my wife and kid.

Unlike many, my wife is a dream and my best friend. Of course I want to give them the very best I can and that is not being stuck in Isaan.

Moved back to Florida USA.

Things changed so we adapted and we changed.

My family never wants to go back to their own country.

Me either. Super happy with everything we have here and life is not stressful with language problems, third world problems or VISA runs

You can do things differently today.

I would like to comment on this.

My girlfriend keeps in touch with a lot of Thai women (25-35) who moved to Canada and every single one that had some kind of career in Thailand regrets leaving Thailand. Every single one of them.

However, women who have grown poor and didn't have much of a work experience and who have husbands provide for them do not regret leaving.

This factoid may be stupidly obvious, but many people simply don't think before making the move.

[fang37]

I brought a ton of $$$ with me.

Played golf 3 days/week.

Women - too many.

Then the sh..it hit the fan.

I was unaware that I had a share exposure with a SGP Bank.

Moreover, they changed me into another currency.

PAIN!

Then my darling sister ripped me off for plenty.

I got cancer - goodbye to golf.

Then I met the "Thai Princess". We live in the "sticks".

LIFE IS BLISS!

I would like to spend 6mths per year @ the beach.

Change anything - cannot.

[Cook my sock]

apart from making the move ten years earlier than I shd have, not much

But if I'd have done that I'm pretty sure I'd have done something really stupid.

[bwpage3]

What’s the sense of wishing what you would do differently when there is still time to do things differently?

If you moved to Thailand and got yourself in a position where you have no choice, then there is no one at fault except yourself.

However, if you find out that life 10 years later isn’t what you hoped or expected, make a change.

Now it is a fact some people were sex blind and moved to Thailand thinking this was Utopia as long as they could get some, never realizing the years would click by rapidly and all costs would rise.

Never understanding the social, economic and language problems living in the third world would bring.

Never understanding the constant stress of visa hassles and everything else.

Most of all never understanding Thai officials never wanted you there in the first place.

If you got yourself trapped in a one room flat for 3,000 thb a month the rest of your life you probably deserve it.

If you went to Thailand with no education and skill, then expected to live like a Prince on a teacher’s salary, you probably deserve it.

If you are smart and own a successful business or having an expat job that pays enormous, good on you, you probably deserve it and can afford to live there.

Everyone has their OWN reasons for moving, staying or leaving.

I don’t look back and wish I could change anything. It was one hell of a fun ride for 10+ years.

But for ME, things changed and I wanted more. I wanted more for my wife and kid.

Unlike many, my wife is a dream and my best friend. Of course I want to give them the very best I can and that is not being stuck in Isaan.

Moved back to Florida USA.

Things changed so we adapted and we changed.

My family never wants to go back to their own country.

Me either. Super happy with everything we have here and life is not stressful with language problems, third world problems or VISA runs

You can do things differently today.

I would like to comment on this.

My girlfriend keeps in touch with a lot of Thai women (25-35) who moved to Canada and every single one that had some kind of career in Thailand regrets leaving Thailand. Every single one of them.

However, women who have grown poor and didn't have much of a work experience and who have husbands provide for them do not regret leaving.

This factoid may be stupidly obvious, but many people simply don't think before making the move.

Your girlfriend is one person and you fail to define a lot (a lot of thai women) which is probably less than 10.

Now compare 10 to the number of Thai females living in Canada?

To think you could prove the majority of Thai women that had a Thai career are unhappy in Canada is ridiculous.

As far as stupidly obvious?

How many Thai people that have never been to Canada would understand what they were getting themselves into by moving?

No it's not obvious.

Probably if you got down to the facts, they probably married someone for money etc. that they are not happy with and in Canada they have to live under the husbands rules where in Thailand, they could get away with what ever they wanted

Nothing is obvious because you do not have any facts

[Cook my sock]

One thing is certain- Thailand is a very different place compared to 15-20 yrs ago.

I'm not sure if choose to live here if I was in my 20s, probably Vietnam instead.

[NeverSure]

Florida seems to come up quite a bit in threads. A popular place to leave. Or relocate to.

I think this is the reason that more Americans aren't expats. With America having 5X the population of the UK for instance, one might expect that Thailand would be overflowing with Americans but it doesn't seem like that to me. It seems to me that Brits and Aussies are over-represented based on populations.

The topic is "What would you do different". I tried being an expat in Thailand and I lasted a little less than a year. I've made numerous trips but months, not years is long enough, just for me.

I'm doing what "I would do differently". I'm thinking of moving to the SE US and perhaps Florida but at the least a nearby state such as Georgia. If I do I will still keep my home and car where I am, and all legalities running such as driver's license, car, home and health insurance valid and so on.

Giving it all up for a place that's insecure where I don't even qualify for health insurance much less can I own land and a house is now out of the question. I gave up my rented condo at the Riverside Apartments in Chiang Mai last year because I don't want to be tied down when I travel.

When I step off that plane and onto US soil I know I have a right to be here and I know there is the rule of law. People obey traffic laws and pick up don't drop litter. I really get tired of the litter. Americans have a choice of so many different climates and scenery and local food and...

To each his own but I did change and "do it differently". I'm happy with my choice as I can get onto a plane to almost anywhere, almost any time. I really feel free when I am in Thailand because I'm not stuck there.

Cheers.

[SoiBiker]

I know a whole bunch of American expats here.

Maybe they didn't get the memo or something.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

What’s the sense of wishing what you would do differently when there is still time to do things differently?

If you moved to Thailand and got yourself in a position where you have no choice, then there is no one at fault except yourself.

However, if you find out that life 10 years later isn’t what you hoped or expected, make a change.

Now it is a fact some people were sex blind and moved to Thailand thinking this was Utopia as long as they could get some, never realizing the years would click by rapidly and all costs would rise.

Never understanding the social, economic and language problems living in the third world would bring.

Never understanding the constant stress of visa hassles and everything else.

Most of all never understanding Thai officials never wanted you there in the first place.

If you got yourself trapped in a one room flat for 3,000 thb a month the rest of your life you probably deserve it.

If you went to Thailand with no education and skill, then expected to live like a Prince on a teacher’s salary, you probably deserve it.

If you are smart and own a successful business or having an expat job that pays enormous, good on you, you probably deserve it and can afford to live there.

Everyone has their OWN reasons for moving, staying or leaving.

I don’t look back and wish I could change anything. It was one hell of a fun ride for 10+ years.

But for ME, things changed and I wanted more. I wanted more for my wife and kid.

Unlike many, my wife is a dream and my best friend. Of course I want to give them the very best I can and that is not being stuck in Isaan.

Moved back to Florida USA.

Things changed so we adapted and we changed.

My family never wants to go back to their own country.

Me either. Super happy with everything we have here and life is not stressful with language problems, third world problems or VISA runs

You can do things differently today.

I would like to comment on this.

My girlfriend keeps in touch with a lot of Thai women (25-35) who moved to Canada and every single one that had some kind of career in Thailand regrets leaving Thailand. Every single one of them.

However, women who have grown poor and didn't have much of a work experience and who have husbands provide for them do not regret leaving.

This factoid may be stupidly obvious, but many people simply don't think before making the move.

Your girlfriend is one person and you fail to define a lot (a lot of thai women) which is probably less than 10.

Now compare 10 to the number of Thai females living in Canada?

To think you could prove the majority of Thai women that had a Thai career are unhappy in Canada is ridiculous.

As far as stupidly obvious?

How many Thai people that have never been to Canada would understand what they were getting themselves into by moving?

No it's not obvious.

Probably if you got down to the facts, they probably married someone for money etc. that they are not happy with and in Canada they have to live under the husbands rules where in Thailand, they could get away with what ever they wanted

Nothing is obvious because you do not have any facts

In Canada they live under husbands rules and in Thailand they could get whatever they wanted? Sorry, but I never read anything more ridiculous. In Canada they can clean their husbands dry with the help of courts.

[ammagic]

After more than a decade here I would not make the decision to live here. Came here with a very positive attitude, learned to speak quite fluent Thai & made thai "friends". Well what can I say. I had lived many years in HK & can honestly say I never experienced the level of deception l have found to be pretty typical. And no I am not a negative, jaded person. Also not a whiner. Just making an observation of my experiences here. Before I moved here I read a comment by someone who had lived here for a while. "Beautiful land, beautiful people but deception at every turn." How cynical I thought! Well now I think that says it all really

[scubascuba3]

After more than a decade here I would not make the decision to live here. Came here with a very positive attitude, learned to speak quite fluent Thai & made thai "friends". Well what can I say. I had lived many years in HK & can honestly say I never experienced the level of deception l have found to be pretty typical. And no I am not a negative, jaded person. Also not a whiner. Just making an observation of my experiences here. Before I moved here I read a comment by someone who had lived here for a while. "Beautiful land, beautiful people but deception at every turn." How cynical I thought! Well now I think that says it all really

i love Thailand but you need to be on your guard always because there is always a risk of being ripped off / conned etc.

[Cook my sock]

Conned by expats or Thais? I know a few slightly gullible people who've been conned in Pattaya property scams but wd be interested to hear other stories.

[CharlieH]

Conned by expats or Thais? I know a few slightly gullible people who've been conned in Pattaya property scams but wd be interested to hear other stories.

Seen the thread in the pub ?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/870503-another-victim-bites-the-dust-when-will-they-ever-learn/