Long Term Strategy.........

[MaxiMaxi]

11 hours ago, Toscano said:

I came to live in Thailaisd as an older man , my pisovi'tsos were to marry a woman who was reasonably educated and had a job ( Head Teacher of a Schoolis) , owned her own house and thhad adult children .

I have spent some money to restore and modernize my wife's house to a comfortable gentleman's residence .  My wife's family are all educated and self supporting ; that is not the case with all families .  If your wife is from the northeast , it is about the most boring place to live .  If I had my time again i would have gone to live near Krabi or another place near the sea , NOT Pattaya .  I would recommend choosing where you like to live before settling .  Thailand has a warm climate , life is easygoing and the overal cost of living is low , but it is not a paradise .  Coming to live in my wife's house I am trapped in Isaan a long way from the sea .  If I were richer , my wife and i would go to live in another country , perhaps Italy where i lived before . 

Dear Toscano

I am toscano and just want to advise you that Italy Isn't anymore what was before. To live there u need a lot of money and many different taxes to pay. Better to live here and be turist once a year there. The only good thing there Is the medical assistance free family doctor, medicines and hospital that here Is paid by cash.

[elviajero]

20 hours ago, nausea said:

Learning to speak Thai fluently is an overrated achievement, mainly pushed by those who speak Thai already. It will give you no advantage. Of course, it's necessary to speak a few words of Thai. It's all about money. A rich non Thai speaking Farang will always trump a poor Thai speaking Farang.. 

Rubbish. It gives a massive advantage regardless of the demographic you are in or are dealing with. There are plenty of people that get by with a few words of Thai, or with the help of their wife/girlfriend, but they would all have an easier time if they could speak the language. It opens many more doors and opportunities, and when you can speak their language it helps to better understand the cultural differences. And to finish you're comparison, a rich Thai speaking foreigner will trump the lot.

 

If the OP is planning to live in Thailand with a Thai wife and two Thai children, learning the language should be a priority.