Italian hotel owner, 46, found dead in Patong room

[Scouse Twoccer]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

Maybe they will learn at the same time you learn not to post wild speculation that helps no one and is even more ridiculous than you consider their business decisions to be.

[Scouse Twoccer]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

I don't think there is enough information, at the moment, to tell if your theory is correct. But I do agree with the point that it is better to invest in a way that is unseen. I would never invest in a business in Thailand or have substantial assets here.

Granted, it was a bit of an assumption to hint that his demise had something to do with the business.

Being broke, depressed or mental illness possibly, but having said that, ones owning a business in Thailand could certainly bring on, or aggravate those conditions tenfold.

d

And then you compound it by posting even more bizarre speculation...

"Being broke, depressed or mental illness possibly.."

Edited April 25, 2016 by Scouse Twoccer

[NamKangMan]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

Maybe they will learn at the same time you learn not to post wild speculation that helps no one and is even more ridiculous than you consider their business decisions to be.

Are you suggesting it doesn't happen here, they are ALL suicides????

[Scouse Twoccer]

Maybe they will learn at the same time you learn not to post wild speculation that helps no one and is even more ridiculous than you consider their business decisions to be.

Are you suggesting it doesn't happen here, they are ALL suicides????

Where, out of the 30-odd words that I posted, did you get that I was making any suggestion of that kind?

[yimlitnoy]

ound

Sad is that we'll never find out what the reason of his death was. In a country where I can get a contract killer for 25 K+ or less, shops that give me a fake bill over a purchase that I've never made and cops who change the police report in favor of the person who pays the most money.

Money is too important and the three Chinese monkeys come to mind.... .

contract killer advice from mr lost in issan. Next he will be giving dental advice like a month or two ago. He has no idea what he is talking about.... ha

Sounds like you should get out more and stop smelling the roses in your garden.

'lostinisaan' isn't far off the mark with his 25k contract figure. When I lived up north central Thailand (not Isaan), my Thai g/f told me about 10 years ago the price was 20k. Factor in a bit of inflation and the member you are mistakenly ridiculing is talking more sense than you... ha

The going rate above was once published in a Bangkok Post editorial in the 80's.

[Scouse Twoccer]

it would be an unwise investigator of 25 years that would believe ALL the so called "suicides" here are just that, "suicides." I have no doubt that some have got away with murder here.

Eventually, when his money runs out, the girl leaves him, then, confronted by the reality that his relationship with solely based around his money, depression, and in many cases embarrassment, sets in, causing many here to suicide. Basically, they have lost their live savings to a Thai con artist.

So, my point is, even as a genuine case of suicide, in many cases, a Thai girl has had a big role to play in it.

Maybe they will learn at the same time you learn not to post wild speculation that helps no one and is even more ridiculous than you consider their business decisions to be.

Are you suggesting it doesn't happen here, they are ALL suicides????

Odd, isn't it, that until you woke up no one, no poster, not the OP, mentioned the word suicide?

[lostinisaan]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

An investigator of 25 years should know that, hypothetically, to go from a rice farm in Issan to the owner of a hotel in Patong is quite a big jump - therein lays, "motive."

The same can be said of property ownership, cash at bank, business ownership, and any other variety of valuable assets foreigners hold here.

I am not saying murder has occurred in this particular case, however, it would be an unwise investigator of 25 years that would believe ALL the so called "suicides" here are just that, "suicides." I have no doubt that some have got away with murder here.

In many cases, an individual falls in love in Thailand, or I should say, lust. He then sells up everything in his home country and moves to Thailand. Some take short cuts and place everything in the Thai girl's name, others try their best to do things properly. That said, for whatever reasons, in many cases a large part of their life savings ends up out of their own asset base, and into the Thai family's.

Eventually, when his money runs out, the girl leaves him, then, confronted by the reality that his relationship with solely based around his money, depression, and in many cases embarrassment, sets in, causing many here to suicide. Basically, they have lost their live savings to a Thai con artist.

So, whilst the Thai girl may not have fired the bullet, so to speak, she certainly loaded the gun.

Has she committed murder - no. Has she committed a crime - in general, no. However, has she created a set of circumstances that bought on the individual's financial loss, and depression - yes.

So, my point is, even as a genuine case of suicide, in many cases, a Thai girl has had a big role to play in it.

Thanks for your great post, totally agree with you. I've met quite a lot Isaan girls who all in a sudden became part of "Hi so' in Europe and driving in a Rolls Royce, or a Bentley can cause huge problems for a foreigner who married a rice farmer daughter.

One from Surin area is still in prison because she wanted to make even more money by selling Jabba. Too many foreigners who're married to a Thai woman have no idea about their wives' gambling and other money wasting attitudes.

Some just don't get it that they pay for each and every time they stay with her.

From a Kubota driver to having a Rolls Royce chauffeur when you're not driving your BMW cabriolet, a very big step on the ladder of life.

So, whilst the Thai girl may not have fired the bullet, so to speak, she certainly loaded the gun.

So, whilst the Thai girl might have unloaded the farang's gun a few times, so to speak, she certainly helped to load a real gun.

[bamukloy]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

Maybe they will learn at the same time you learn not to post wild speculation that helps no one and is even more ridiculous than you consider their business decisions to be.

So you consider it wise going into a business where you have to invest millions, employ a certain amount of Thais, arrange work permits for foreigners? On and on

Or start a business where you stump up 100% of the outlay but have limited ownership and no real control ?

Or how about putting the whole business in someone elses name and hoping for the best?

Guys like you are good at making snide comments or slurs but dont back it up with any real argument.

[NamKangMan]

it would be an unwise investigator of 25 years that would believe ALL the so called "suicides" here are just that, "suicides." I have no doubt that some have got away with murder here.

Eventually, when his money runs out, the girl leaves him, then, confronted by the reality that his relationship with solely based around his money, depression, and in many cases embarrassment, sets in, causing many here to suicide. Basically, they have lost their live savings to a Thai con artist.

So, my point is, even as a genuine case of suicide, in many cases, a Thai girl has had a big role to play in it.

Maybe they will learn at the same time you learn not to post wild speculation that helps no one and is even more ridiculous than you consider their business decisions to be.

Are you suggesting it doesn't happen here, they are ALL suicides????

Odd, isn't it, that until you woke up no one, no poster, not the OP, mentioned the word suicide?

I'll take your post as a no response.

Once again, I am speaking generally, not about this specific case.

The article did say a note was found near the body. It could be a suicide note, or it could be nothing. Maybe he had his hotel sprayed for bed bugs last week. Who knows?

I'll ask again, are you suggesting the various, and in some cases, quite bizarre ways, foreigners die here are all natural causes or suicide, and none of them could have been murdered?

[ThailandGuy]

Thailand the land of smiles.... until they break you and / or you run out of money. The amount of foreigners dying in that country, jumping of hotel balconies, found dead in hotel rooms is bizar high in comparison to other countries. And it is always suicide or unclear what really happened. The land of smiles gets a bad taste in the long run.

[NamKangMan]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

Maybe they will learn at the same time you learn not to post wild speculation that helps no one and is even more ridiculous than you consider their business decisions to be.

So you consider it wise going into a business where you have to invest millions, employ a certain amount of Thais, arrange work permits for foreigners? On and on

Or start a business where you stump up 100% of the outlay but have limited ownership and no real control ?

Or how about putting the whole business in someone elses name and hoping for the best?

Guys like you are good at making snide comments or slurs but dont back it up with any real argument.

"Yes, but everyone else is doing it, and my girl is different."

[dunroaming]

There are several ways to protect yourself in business projects in Thailand but you do need to be savvy. On the other hand Thai's will try to screw their Thai business partners as well and it is not something unique to foreigners.

[bamukloy]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

Maybe they will learn at the same time you learn not to post wild speculation that helps no one and is even more ridiculous than you consider their business decisions to be.

So you consider it wise going into a business where you have to invest millions, employ a certain amount of Thais, arrange work permits for foreigners? On and on

Or start a business where you stump up 100% of the outlay but have limited ownership and no real control ?

Or how about putting the whole business in someone elses name and hoping for the best?

Guys like you are good at making snide comments or slurs but dont back it up with any real argument.

"Yes, but everyone else is doing it, and my girl is different."

Im hearing you there. Maybe we should consider to have it written on our grave..

PS. My girlfriend absolutely did not kill me..shes different

555

[manarak]

zenophobes.

given the mai bpen rai mentality and general lazyness in Thailand, I'd rather describe the country as zenophile...

[Thaidream]

I have no idea what caused the demise of this gentleman. May he RIP.

Many posters have written the truth about the Thailand experience. After decades here I have learned this- never open a business here- too complicated and the potential for loss too great; never rush into a marriage or a relationship- a mistake can be fatal; learn to speak some of the language- it can save you from difficult situations and keep you smart; Keep access to some of you own money-such as a pension or a bank account and don't tell anyone about it or how much you have no matter how much you trust and love your spouse; Study and learn what a Thai smile really means and how to read and understand a Thai person's body language and eyes Also, try and understand what keeps Thai society functioning on a superficial level and adapt to it; and finally- do not ever think you will be accepted as one of the 'Thais'-no matter how great you think your relationships are or how well you can speak Thai. You will always be a foreigner.

[bamukloy]

Summed up pefectly Thaidream

[metisdead]

Grammar police posts have been removed.

[Kabula]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

"For all the world to see" is a bit strong isnt it?

I would suggest only people that search out the topic and have a personal interest in Thailand will ever see these posts.

Last time i heard that old chestnut bandied around often was the Kho Tao case, and every person i talked to in my own country has never heard of it.

What you state as negativity, i would consider as being realistic.

If you know anything about the law here you will know that having property and business (legally) as a foreigner means having the deck stacked heavily against you (with good reason i might add)

What you failed to mention was that many of these business arrangements are simply illegal or obviously skirting around Thai laws.

"Owning a business without shareholders" is the subtle hint that you seemed to have missed.

The facts are ( and im talking in general, not neccesarily just in this case) most of these small enterprise type businesses run by foriegners are breaking several laws, the most trivial of which is working without a work permit, and just that can get you in the doo doo if someone has a beef against you.

In Thailand unfortunately, when others see you so obviously skirting around several laws, they consider you as fair game, as of course you have no recourse with the police or the law.

All the Thais i know pretty much have the same outlook i might add, not good for farang to have business here, so you are apologising for the already preached im afraid

The world can view anything on the Internet with a few key words in a search engine.

Thai Visa has over one million subscribers worldwide! Many forward articles to friends. One article could go viral with hundreds of thousand views worldwide and remain in the search engine forever.

I've lived here for 10 years and over the years many expats had many successful businesses here.

I hate to be the messager of bad news, but all businesses worldwide are struggling now with stock sell offs, currency exchange rates, high taxes, health care costs, inflation, loss of customers and many more problems.

American Corporations that have been buying their stock back for the last 8 years have loss billions of dollars with share holders selling their positions. I've owned many businesses in America, and did business in Central America and I'm here to tell you the deck is stacked against you everywhere now! That is why I retired 19 years ago! Why does everyone refer to Thailand as having all these problems. They have less problems then most of the world including your home country if you did your research.

[laislica]

I have no idea what caused the demise of this gentleman. May he RIP.

Many posters have written the truth about the Thailand experience. After decades here I have learned this- never open a business here- too complicated and the potential for loss too great; never rush into a marriage or a relationship- a mistake can be fatal; learn to speak some of the language- it can save you from difficult situations and keep you smart; Keep access to some of you own money-such as a pension or a bank account and don't tell anyone about it or how much you have no matter how much you trust and love your spouse; Study and learn what a Thai smile really means and how to read and understand a Thai person's body language and eyes Also, try and understand what keeps Thai society functioning on a superficial level and adapt to it; and finally- do not ever think you will be accepted as one of the 'Thais'-no matter how great you think your relationships are or how well you can speak Thai. You will always be a foreigner.

"You will always be a foreigner"

Just as foreigners are in my home country.

On another thread today the OP is about an Englishman catching a pick pocket in Patts.

The photo of the man shows him with a beard and his name roots would appear to be Asia.

The number of posters who say that no way is he an Englishman and go on to explain it doesn't matter where you are born bla bla bla.

However, if you mean that unless you gain Thai citizenship then there are restrictions on owning land or a business, then I agree with you.

But you would still be a foreigner, because you are but then foreigners are just that, foreigners everywhere in the world!

[luckyman]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

An investigator of 25 years should know that, hypothetically, to go from a rice farm in Issan to the owner of a hotel in Patong is quite a big jump - therein lays, "motive."

The same can be said of property ownership, cash at bank, business ownership, and any other variety of valuable assets foreigners hold here.

I am not saying murder has occurred in this particular case, however, it would be an unwise investigator of 25 years that would believe ALL the so called "suicides" here are just that, "suicides." I have no doubt that some have got away with murder here.

In many cases, an individual falls in love in Thailand, or I should say, lust. He then sells up everything in his home country and moves to Thailand. Some take short cuts and place everything in the Thai girl's name, others try their best to do things properly. That said, for whatever reasons, in many cases a large part of their life savings ends up out of their own asset base, and into the Thai family's.

Eventually, when his money runs out, the girl leaves him, then, confronted by the reality that his relationship with solely based around his money, depression, and in many cases embarrassment, sets in, causing many here to suicide. Basically, they have lost their live savings to a Thai con artist.

So, whilst the Thai girl may not have fired the bullet, so to speak, she certainly loaded the gun.

Has she committed murder - no. Has she committed a crime - in general, no. However, has she created a set of circumstances that bought on the individual's financial loss, and depression - yes.

So, my point is, even as a genuine case of suicide, in many cases, a Thai girl has had a big role to play in it.

Maybe, but the biggest role must have been the victim's ignorance and stupidity, I believe. And that won't bring one's demise just in Thailand. These scenarios happen in Africa, South America in fact everywhere even in one's home country...

I agree, however, in my opinion, the foreign ownership laws here exacerbate the situation, but as you say, the main blame lays with those who are "ignorant and stupid" to the fact that many before them have been fleeced, and the fact that "their girl might not be different."

Spot on, Namkangman and in all fairness and honesty, I did not mean to judge the poor guy, or any other farang that has been cheated or conned, as I actually spoke out of personal experience.

I have been very ignorant and stupid once just as well, of course.

Me too, was a victim once of a deceitful woman or two, in my first year here but also once a long time ago back home in my own city, in my own language etc.etc.

Of course!

As they say, the flesh can be very weak.

These things though, they tend to happen far more often in developing countries than in the West, for obvious reasons.

Some of those women did cost me quite some hard earned cash, but never ever did I buy something very valuable into their name like a house or a condo though...

And in the end, to even things out here, I have to add that Thailand has also been very kind to me, as for almost 10 years now I own a successful company with great staff that has made it possible for me to do a lot of nice things I never believed I would be able to...

[luckyman]

Just for the record, my posts didnt accuse or imply that anything underhand happened here.

(although its hard to miss the not so subtle inferrence in the way the article was written).

My point was, the implications of having a business here opens you up to more problems than what its worth IMO.

I am sorry but I strongly disagree, yet at the same time, I would highly recommend to stay out of typical local and typical Thai business or trade.

Like planting rubber trees, having a chicken or piggy farm, farming corn or rice, gold or amulet trade etc.etc. is not a good idea at all.

Find something new and original or open anything like a pub, bar, hotel or guesthouse close to where there are many already and you will be safe and sound and happy as long as you behave yourself very well, of course.

[NamKangMan]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

"For all the world to see" is a bit strong isnt it?

I would suggest only people that search out the topic and have a personal interest in Thailand will ever see these posts.

Last time i heard that old chestnut bandied around often was the Kho Tao case, and every person i talked to in my own country has never heard of it.

What you state as negativity, i would consider as being realistic.

If you know anything about the law here you will know that having property and business (legally) as a foreigner means having the deck stacked heavily against you (with good reason i might add)

What you failed to mention was that many of these business arrangements are simply illegal or obviously skirting around Thai laws.

"Owning a business without shareholders" is the subtle hint that you seemed to have missed.

The facts are ( and im talking in general, not neccesarily just in this case) most of these small enterprise type businesses run by foriegners are breaking several laws, the most trivial of which is working without a work permit, and just that can get you in the doo doo if someone has a beef against you.

In Thailand unfortunately, when others see you so obviously skirting around several laws, they consider you as fair game, as of course you have no recourse with the police or the law.

All the Thais i know pretty much have the same outlook i might add, not good for farang to have business here, so you are apologising for the already preached im afraid

The world can view anything on the Internet with a few key words in a search engine.

Thai Visa has over one million subscribers worldwide! Many forward articles to friends. One article could go viral with hundreds of thousand views worldwide and remain in the search engine forever.

I've lived here for 10 years and over the years many expats had many successful businesses here.

I hate to be the messager of bad news, but all businesses worldwide are struggling now with stock sell offs, currency exchange rates, high taxes, health care costs, inflation, loss of customers and many more problems.

American Corporations that have been buying their stock back for the last 8 years have loss billions of dollars with share holders selling their positions. I've owned many businesses in America, and did business in Central America and I'm here to tell you the deck is stacked against you everywhere now! That is why I retired 19 years ago! Why does everyone refer to Thailand as having all these problems. They have less problems then most of the world including your home country if you did your research.

I can own land in my own name in America - I can't in Thailand. BIG difference.

How many guys would still be alive today if they could have owned their assets in Thailand, in their own name, and I am talking about 100% ownership, not the use of a few loopholes that can be closed at anytime.

"I've lived here for 10 years and over the years many expats had many successful businesses here." - and how many expats have gone broke, or lost money, compared to those that were successful????

[NamKangMan]

I have no idea what caused the demise of this gentleman. May he RIP.

Many posters have written the truth about the Thailand experience. After decades here I have learned this- never open a business here- too complicated and the potential for loss too great; never rush into a marriage or a relationship- a mistake can be fatal; learn to speak some of the language- it can save you from difficult situations and keep you smart; Keep access to some of you own money-such as a pension or a bank account and don't tell anyone about it or how much you have no matter how much you trust and love your spouse; Study and learn what a Thai smile really means and how to read and understand a Thai person's body language and eyes Also, try and understand what keeps Thai society functioning on a superficial level and adapt to it; and finally- do not ever think you will be accepted as one of the 'Thais'-no matter how great you think your relationships are or how well you can speak Thai. You will always be a foreigner.

"You will always be a foreigner." - are you saying that all those guys with Thai tattoos, of which they have no idea what they say, or represent, ARE NOT more Thai than me?

[NamKangMan]

I have no idea what caused the demise of this gentleman. May he RIP.

Many posters have written the truth about the Thailand experience. After decades here I have learned this- never open a business here- too complicated and the potential for loss too great; never rush into a marriage or a relationship- a mistake can be fatal; learn to speak some of the language- it can save you from difficult situations and keep you smart; Keep access to some of you own money-such as a pension or a bank account and don't tell anyone about it or how much you have no matter how much you trust and love your spouse; Study and learn what a Thai smile really means and how to read and understand a Thai person's body language and eyes Also, try and understand what keeps Thai society functioning on a superficial level and adapt to it; and finally- do not ever think you will be accepted as one of the 'Thais'-no matter how great you think your relationships are or how well you can speak Thai. You will always be a foreigner.

"You will always be a foreigner"

Just as foreigners are in my home country.

On another thread today the OP is about an Englishman catching a pick pocket in Patts.

The photo of the man shows him with a beard and his name roots would appear to be Asia.

The number of posters who say that no way is he an Englishman and go on to explain it doesn't matter where you are born bla bla bla.

However, if you mean that unless you gain Thai citizenship then there are restrictions on owning land or a business, then I agree with you.

But you would still be a foreigner, because you are but then foreigners are just that, foreigners everywhere in the world!

I think it goes to the lack of rights foreigners have here, particularly those who have financially and emotionally invested in Thailand.

Basically, a foreigner who has lived in Thailand for 20 years, has a Thai wife, has children to the marriage, has a businesses, and has a property, has no more rights than a tourists here on a 30 day visa exempt stamp.

Edited April 25, 2016 by NamKangMan

[sead]

ound

Sad is that we'll never find out what the reason of his death was. In a country where I can get a contract killer for 25 K+ or less, shops that give me a fake bill over a purchase that I've never made and cops who change the police report in favor of the person who pays the most money.

Money is too important and the three Chinese monkeys come to mind.... .

contract killer advice from mr lost in issan. Next he will be giving dental advice like a month or two ago. He has no idea what he is talking about.... ha

Sounds like you should get out more and stop smelling the roses in your garden.

'lostinisaan' isn't far off the mark with his 25k contract figure. When I lived up north central Thailand (not Isaan), my Thai g/f told me about 10 years ago the price was 20k. Factor in a bit of inflation and the member you are mistakenly ridiculing is talking more sense than you... ha

Well you are way over if you talking about 20k usd. There are guys lining up for 50k bht .

[laislica]

I have no idea what caused the demise of this gentleman. May he RIP.

Many posters have written the truth about the Thailand experience. After decades here I have learned this- never open a business here- too complicated and the potential for loss too great; never rush into a marriage or a relationship- a mistake can be fatal; learn to speak some of the language- it can save you from difficult situations and keep you smart; Keep access to some of you own money-such as a pension or a bank account and don't tell anyone about it or how much you have no matter how much you trust and love your spouse; Study and learn what a Thai smile really means and how to read and understand a Thai person's body language and eyes Also, try and understand what keeps Thai society functioning on a superficial level and adapt to it; and finally- do not ever think you will be accepted as one of the 'Thais'-no matter how great you think your relationships are or how well you can speak Thai. You will always be a foreigner.

"You will always be a foreigner"

Just as foreigners are in my home country.

On another thread today the OP is about an Englishman catching a pick pocket in Patts.

The photo of the man shows him with a beard and his name roots would appear to be Asia.

The number of posters who say that no way is he an Englishman and go on to explain it doesn't matter where you are born bla bla bla.

However, if you mean that unless you gain Thai citizenship then there are restrictions on owning land or a business, then I agree with you.

But you would still be a foreigner, because you are but then foreigners are just that, foreigners everywhere in the world!

I think it goes to the lack of rights foreigners have here, particularly those who have financially and emotionally invested in Thailand.

Basically, a foreigner who has lived in Thailand for 20 years, has a Thai wife, has children to the marriage, has a businesses, and has a property, has no more rights that a tourists here on a 30 day visa exempt stamp.

I agree, however Spain under Franko the dictator was somewhat similar but since he died and they became democratic and allowed foreigners to own land, prices ran out of control.

To the point that locals could no longer afford to buy property.

To some extent it was a problem of their own making.

In the 60's two coco tin lids would have been enough to get you something but....

Greedy locals asked for higher and higher prices, and got them.

A similar situation could be seen in Ireland a while back.

Eventually, the bubble burst and a lot of people get hurt.

I agree, certain committed foreigners should have more rights than a tourist but how would you give more rights and control run away prices.

Heck, I can see condo prices on runaway right now, simply because Farang can own them directly.

Local builders are jumping in and raising prices like crazy to get a piece of the action.....

This has a knock on effect to the price of prime development land.....

A quick look at prices in Chiang Mai over the last few years will show this.

In some districts the local Amphor doesn't even know how to issue yellow books!

[lostinisaan]

Wouldn't the Italian's relatives have the right to sell the hotel, or at least get most of the cash, considering that the poor guy wasn't married?

P.S. Is it clear how he bought this hotel? I hope not through setting up a company with non existing share holders. No assumptions)

Edited April 25, 2016 by lostinisaan

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

Find something new and original or open anything like a pub, bar, hotel or guesthouse close to where there are many already and you will be safe and sound and happy as long as you behave yourself very well, of course.

Maybe somethingnew and original, but a 'pub, bar, hotel or guesthouse close to where there are many already' sounds like a business disaster to me.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

Basically, a foreigner who has lived in Thailand for 20 years, has a Thai wife, has children to the marriage, has a businesses, and has a property, has no more rights than a tourists here on a 30 day visa exempt stamp.

I would mostly agree with that. If half/half Thai children involved then it helps a lot.

[xylophone]

Wouldn't the Italian's relatives have the right to sell the hotel, or at least get most of the cash, considering that the poor guy wasn't married?

P.S. Is it clear how he bought this hotel? I hope not through setting up a company with non existing share holders. No assumptions)

I would have to agree with a lot of NamKangMan's sentiments in his posts and even more so after speaking to a fairly senior Italian expat who has lived here for a long time and knows how things work here. Indeed I have lived here for 10 years and nothing surprises me any more.

I also think that you will find the hotel is not in the deceased's (RIP) name and indeed someone who could stand to benefit considerably has connections in places that matter when such things as this occur.