LivinLOS Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 The junta attitude is that those who are here permanently are valueless. My take is it's worse. They're starting to see us as threats. What dont they see as threats ?? Beer bottles on menus.. Spaghetti strap tops at songgran.. A photo on the internet with a beer in it.. Etc etc etc.. The mad puritans now in charge, who couldnt get elected to power any other way, seem intent on turning Thailand back into some false pastoral society, where teenagers respected their elders and serfs wai'ed their poo yai.. And all the good people wear Thai silk and yellow on Mondays.. They want to turn the society into something that probably never existed in the way they think it did, except in the false textbooks used to teach Thai history.. Young Thailand is awake, they can see the rest of the world view their smartphones, they dont buy into the patronage culture so strongly, and Uncle P wont be able to force that genie back in its bottle no matter how much he rants and raves about the morals of the youth of today.. They cant stop it.. The only question is how much pain will they force on the country while they try to resist it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 It's like the Thaivisa version of Godwin's law - sooner of later all debates come round either to sex or lurid paranoid fantasies about how much the locals hate us. Or sometimes both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceanbat Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Off the TOP of my head. Agoda, hotel quickly, Asia rooms all started in Bangkok. A bit more old school but DST systems has a pretty significant presence here as well. Have I gone hopelessly off topic? OB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinLOS Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Off the TOP of my head. Agoda, hotel quickly, Asia rooms all started in Bangkok. A bit more old school but DST systems has a pretty significant presence here as well. Have I gone hopelessly off topic? OB By young farangs ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrTuner Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 It's like the Thaivisa version of Godwin's law - sooner of later all debates come round either to sex or lurid paranoid fantasies about how much the locals hate us. Or sometimes both. Nothing like good hate sex. You should try it sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Off the TOP of my head. Agoda, hotel quickly, Asia rooms all started in Bangkok. A bit more old school but DST systems has a pretty significant presence here as well. Have I gone hopelessly off topic? OB By young farangs ?? Agoda was started by two farangs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 It's like the Thaivisa version of Godwin's law - sooner of later all debates come round either to sex or lurid paranoid fantasies about how much the locals hate us. Or sometimes both. Nothing like good hate sex. You should try it sometime. Impossible, I'm afraid. All women love me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceanbat Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Off the TOP of my head. Agoda, hotel quickly, Asia rooms all started in Bangkok. A bit more old school but DST systems has a pretty significant presence here as well. Have I gone hopelessly off topic? OB By young farangs ?? Hotel quickly and Agoda - yes. I just read Asia rooms closed down last year so my bad. DST systems was started in Melbourne I think but most of their software development support and consulting is based out of Bangkok OB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duanebigsby Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I maintain.. There is no 'thriving communities of westerners legally being wonderful entrepreneurs in every major city' in Thailand.. No matter what 'circles' anyone purports to hang out in.. Its a nonsense statement and total falsehood. Agreeing with it is equally dumb. Pretty much what I've seen too. Mostly refuse from the west, scroungers and itinerants. You have consistently looked down on any westerner who isn't a well-off pensioner. What about the retiree who struggles to make ends meet in his own country, but finds Thailand affordable? What's wrong with coming here? I made really good coin in Vancouver, one of the priciest cities in the world to live, but could only manage to put $500 away each month before losing my job to technology changes.. Here, I'm a "lowly" English teacher. On my pittance $1000 dollars, I put $350 to $400 away each month and live a happy lifestyle. But you paint English teachers the same way as you do digital nomads and entrepreneurs as "refuse, scroungers, and itinerants." What an arrogant attitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maenamray Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I am over 50 with the required bank balance, and the answer is yes I would come to live here. For over 50's I can understand that Thailand can not afford to provide health care or emergency care, so it is only reasonable that you can prove you can pay for this yourself. Life is getting more difficult in most countries, and the difficulties, including immigration, here are still worth putting up with for the friendliness, and standard of living you can have here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrTuner Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Life is getting more difficult in most countries, and the difficulties, including immigration, here are still worth putting up with for the friendliness, and standard of living you can have here. I'm curious about the friendliness part. Having lived here for about 8 years now, mostly surrounded by Thais and accepted as a run of the mill farang by those around me, I haven't found the populace in general being any less or more friendly than any other county I've lived in. Most don't care one way or another. If you mean the smiles, well they're just universal reaction to whatever. Would you mind elaborating on what in your opinion in the current day makes Thais friendly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabricus Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Off the TOP of my head. Agoda, hotel quickly, Asia rooms all started in Bangkok. A bit more old school but DST systems has a pretty significant presence here as well. Have I gone hopelessly off topic? OB By young farangs ?? Agoda was started by two farangs. ThaiVisa was started by a farang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAZZPA Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Difficult question. I am under 50 and working so I have a work permit. There are Pro's of living in Thailand for sure but also many con's. I think the only thing that keeps people here to be brutally honest is the weather and the low cost of living. If it got a little more expensive then there are many places without the BS that you have to endure in Thailand such as the police corruption, terrible roads, no justice, unfriendly attitude towards foreigners etc, etc. I have not yet explored other Asean options such as Vietnam but I have lived in Hong Kong and China,, Hong Kong being a great place to live but expensive accommodation, China cheaper but difficulty getting around and fitting in. But if could secure my income anywhere I would go back to Europe and live somewhere such as Greece, the South of France, Portugal (Algarve) and some parts of Spain. In short there are better places to live with fantastic weather so no I wouldn't make Thailand my first choice but I am making money here for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I think the only thing that keeps people here to be brutally honest is the weather and the low cost of living. Then you'd be wrong. That might be all you can find to like about the place, but you don't speak for the rest of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKnave Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 As so often happens in threads like this, it has become an ode to the narcissism of a couple of posters who are smug and contented in their life in Thailand. Takes very thick skin to avoid seeing the changes in attitudes towards foreigners that have been building since '97 or so - if you've even been around that long. As for me, I prefer to avoid places where there is an active government campaign to discourage my stay. Again, thick skin and self-absorbed ignorance can only take you so far. The wakeup call is going to be a b itch... Blatant corruption in the immigration process is preferable to intentionally obfuscating regulations, as obvious as their purpose be. I miss what Thailand was. So will you, only maybe a bit late... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 It also takes a certain amount of arrogance to presume everyone shares your feelings and opinions. Some of us like it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davo2003 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Things I like about Thailand. My buddy lives there, my dentist is there, he's a good dude so I don't change dentists. I spent 5 yrs visiting Thailand and it just got worse every time. Traffic police checkpoints, rude unhelpful shop girls, little English spoken and very few smiles. I went to the Philippines once and never looked back. Every shop and restaurant you go into a person, 99% of the time younger fake says to you in perfect English. Welcome sir, can I help you sir? I'm talking 99.9% of the time. When I go to most Thai shops all I see is a girl in a chair staring at her smart phone then either unwilling or unable to help you due to poor people skills or poor English skills. I suspect many farangs who are enamored with Thailand have never set foot in the Philippines. Okay let the flaming begin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davo2003 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 That should say "younger female" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAZZPA Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Still under 40. Came at 29. Would defo come today all over again. Many more opportunities here now. The dynamics have changed too. It's no longer just a place old men come to hang out with / sleep with hookers. Every major city is thriving with young westerners doing all sorts of wonderful, entrepreneurial things, many with other young Thais too. That's a key difference I've notice in the last 7 years – middle class Thais and young westerners forming friendship groups and mixing on an equal level. There's loads going on in terms of art, music, hollistic health and online ventures. Erm, no I dont think so. Thailand is certainly not the land of opportunity for young Western entrepreneurs, there are many places far better suited. For example, if you are a foreign entrepreneur you cannot own 100% of your own business,, just 49% due to the xenophobic and ancient attitude of Thailand. Also, you are not able to secure banking support no matter how fantastic your business plan is with local banks (unless you have equal capital to back it up then whats the point). No bank, no business. Young Thai people who are well educated very often come from wealthy families who could afford to put them through a decent education and they will not bring a foreigner into their circle of Thai business friends. I worked for a Thai owned business, the whole family worked there (nepotism at its worst as most were unqualified but empowered), the younger generation stick close to the older generation of wealthy people and so the cycle continues. The only think I will say is that most of the big businesses here seem to be foreign,, for example even the major supermarkets are not Thai,, TESCO, Big C, Seven 11, Family Mart are all foreign owned companies (thats is strange for a country not to have a local company dominating its supermarket business, or at least have the number 2 slot). Also, look at Toyota, Honda as 2 major employers and manufacturers. So, it seems foreign firms can dominate here but its definitely not the place for start ups. I would suggest most young entrepreneurs are betting on China, Eastern Europe and of course still the USA. Can you name any foreign led start ups that have thrived and grown here in Thailand in the last 7 years? I don't know of any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrilled Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I enjoy Thailand 6 months A year.The other 6 months it's just to hot.Also What I like about Thailand is if you tend to bend the rules As long as it's not real bad you can usually take care of it with money.It works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbirds20 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Knowing what I know now, ...No, ..definitely not!! I am tired of the double standards we face in every day life ... from inflated prices for us for almost everything food in the market, rentals, tourist attractions, Muy Thai fights, you name, ...we pay more!! Also the fact that Thai men make babies and leave the woman to raise the kid on her own and no one says a thing about the flaky Thai guy, the girls say, oh he have new family, mai pen rain na!! ...but Farang come along and we must pay for everything, her kids, her family, buy a house, car and buffalo, ..or we are keeneeow, stingy or cheap! Never get in a dispute with a Thai, ..you will lose every time. If you hit a Thai with your car, ..back up and run over him again to make sure he is dead, it will cost you less! I have been to 40 countries, experienced several different cultures. On the surface Thais are friendly and polite, but most of them are not. They gossip about everything you say or do, ..try to cheat you or deceive you. I have been robbed at gun and knife point, had a gold necklace ripped from my neck by two guys on a motorbike, had things stolen from my room by supposed friends, been a target of pickpocketing on a songtao, ..... overcharged and short changed many times, ...... more so in Thailand than in all the other countries I have been to combined! We are not welcome here and the ever changing rules and regulations governing us in Thailand prove that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Some of you don't like it here. I get that. Some of you have strong opinions about what you feel is wrong with the place. I respect that. But please, don't make out that people who don't agree with you are naive or misguided or stupid. We're all entitled to our own opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salim94 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 retirement visa is only 800000 baht its about 20000 euros or 23000 dollars for now , l really dont understand how poeple cant have that s money after there 50 years , l m not complain , but if u work in europe or some rich country , isnt a big ammount l mean until u have ur 50 years u can save it or just go bank in ur country and make credit so u have ur 800000 baht and pay back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberfarang Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I would still come to Thailand if I had a chance to start over again, but not Chiang Mai where I live now. In Chiang Mai they have shut down a lot of the nightlife, immigration is a nightmare and the pollution must be the worse of all Thailand. I would recommend anyone to come to Thailand, but avoid Chiang Mai at all costs, it`s not Farang friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrens54 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) Don't think I would. Main reason is lack of AFFORDABLE HEALTH COVER. The one that was instituted a few years ago was good but was ditched by the current Government. I've now spent all my savings on house, renovations etc., etc., and can't afford to buy another place back home, let alone try existing on an aged pension with a child in high school. Simply means, I hope not to get sick and linger. Just a quick heart attack in my sleep so I don't send my wife broke, paying for me to linger in hospital. Edited November 18, 2015 by Torrens54 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gigman Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I'd be in South America or the Philippines. Maybe France or Spain. Anywhere with good cycling weather would do. Thailand has nothing special ...... temples and hookers. One you've done a dozen, you've done them all. Yes..it is true. Still waiting for my retirement money from Australia but spending time in Europe. ..actually in Poland and some neighbour countries and must say that actually Thailand is boring. I was hypnotised for some time with Los maybe of some kind of better freedom but for what???....cheap ladies in bars with expensive beer which gone through my stomach in huge amounts talking to expats about same subjects every day...??? And now all this "freedom" is starting to dissappear in big steps where farangs are just become a first target. I think Thai's are just to much jealous about us and just tolerating as as far as we have and spend a lot of money they mostly pretending in smiles toward us farangs. At least my Thai girlfriend finaly had to admit that this is true. She said that all her friends are just pretending more or less when they faces me. They are even not interested in knowing our culture because they learned from youngest years that Thailand is id the smartest and the best in the world....... Many times I asked her ...why you do not watch or be interested about other countries in the world ...including my home country in Europe ... She always avoided answer. Finally she admitted that she prefer not to know about places she can afford to go and see........ It took me 2 years to inject in her some interest about Europe and my home country and next spring time she definately wants to come. To be honest living in Thailand for me is a kind of intellectual degradation now in comparisation with even poorest live in for eg. Spain or Poland or Słowenia. Life here has much better standard and has a huge choice for everyone... Thailand is maybe good to spend a couple of weeks there but has to many obstacles for farangs...just starting from every 3 month reporting... I understand those who must do it on short term stay but ..come on. ..I know some people married there with kids who doing reporting for 20 years .. I must say it...THIS IS DISCRIMINATION. And look closely how step by step Thai's are making hard time for foreigners. Just I do not want to be discriminated by people who has only one interest in me...my money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smotherb Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 If I didn't have $22k by the time I was 50 years of age, I'd be so depressed and ashamed I'd keep my job as a Walmart greeter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksamuiguy Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 First time in Thailand 1962. Udorn, fell in love with "The Kingdom" and it's people. I have lived in "The Kingdom" Legally with a work permit, Payed my taxes for almost 40 years and never looked back. Adapting is the secret, don't fight things you have no control over, just comply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrTuner Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Adapting is the secret, don't fight things you have no control over, just comply. No doubt. I however would rather move out than <deleted> and bend over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si Thea01 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'd be in South America or the Philippines. Maybe France or Spain. Anywhere with good cycling weather would do. Thailand has nothing special ...... temples and hookers. One you've done a dozen, you've done them all. Your'e a nice piece of work aren't you. Why so ingracious? Maybe you should just hop on your bike as we wave you goodbye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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