Did your plans/intentions change after arriving in Thailand?

[JAFO]

I was sitting this weekend at my house and laughed as I have to admit mine sure did.

 

Here is my readers digest story.  

 

When I first arrived here some 10+ years ago on business I had ample time to sit at the hotel the company had me set up in and assess it all. I had never done this in other countries but honestly SZ, China nor Manila, Philippines were places I would ever want to stay long term for a host of reasons.  Initially I sat and thought how it would be nice to shed myself of all the material things I had amassed in the US, pack up a few suitcases with stuff I felt I would only need and live a far more simpler life because I was enjoying myself living like that currently in Thailand. I was sick of everyone having a hand in my pocket and me knowing I would have to work until I die to sustain myself ( I was late 40's). My plan was to come over here and get a clean condo and just travel around. I did all the math and realized at that time I could live for a fraction of what it was costing me back home and I could actually save a ton of cash. Off I went on that path. I figured I could waffle back and forth and come up with countless reasons why this won't work so I just went with it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say. After some time into my plan I realized a few things.  I needed some hobbies and living in a 1 bedroom condo would never work for me long term. I grew up in the mountains and I need my space to have my hobbies and relax without hearing slamming doors of Condo's, elevator bells chiming, not being able to BBQ and no yard to sit and relax etc etc. At the time I was here alone and had been and only had the friends I had established at the company I was working for. I absolutely did not come here for the women ( why complicate it). I just wanted a change of venue and to get off the proverbial US hamster wheel. 

 

Not to far into my plan I decided to try retirement and left the company I had worked for. I got a very large severance package and that amount would sustain me here in Thailand for years.  Shortly thereafter I met this gal while in BKK(my now wife). We started dating and were having fun but I was still stuck in that condo life which was wearing thin on me. One day on a day trip we went down to Pran Buri to do a cave hike and found this house along the way for rent. We ended up meeting the owners on the way back to BKK and struck a deal to rent it. My GF had her job in BKK and her condo and now I was living down about 50 meters from the beach. She initially was coming down on her days off to hang out which was perfect. I had a yard, I finally got to use my Weber Smokey Joe BBQ pit, Trek bike to ride along the beach. I could fish, wash my motorcycle and had a small private pool to swim in. I saw kids along the streets playing and when I woke up I could hear the ocean waves off in the distance and some peace and quiet. About 5 months after moving there the BKK floods happened and I moved my GF out of her condo down with me. Timing was perfect as her place got flooded badly. As the floods were subsiding I wanted to go back to the US to see friends and family and I asked my GF if she wanted to come for a visit. I had not been back to the US for a few years and she had never been. She said OK, asked for work time off and as "shit happens" we ended up marrying in the US. Of course during that time we decided to exit the beach house as we knew we would not be back for awhile so she flew back and moved everything to her sisters house in Ayutthaya. Upon her return to the US we sat and decided that it makes good sense to build a new more modern house up on the land she owned in the north and we would return when done. Being I had traveled around Thailand north to south I like the north the best.  As we had the house built we both knew I needed to have some "Stuff" to go off and play with so we decided to do a full 40 ft container and bring  things we desired. I still shed a lot of things I would never do again or had lost interest in doing but I brought over some basics. The single largest plus was I had sold off everything and had zero debt and that was the best thing. I was finally free so to speak. I originally was going to keep my house in the US but decided against it as I did not want the financial burden plus I did not want to come back to the same place in the US every time. If I came back I wanted to land anywhere I wanted. My wife liked that idea too.

 

Fast forward and we are now back here and settled in. I am extremely happy. I rejoined the working sector but way different circumstances and its on my terms which makes the job enjoyable for once. Sure a far cry from what I had thought was the ideal plan back in 2005 with a few suitcases sitting in a hotel room. 

 

What about you? Any other folks start out one way here and end up totally the opposite?

[Suradit69]

Quote

Did your plans/intentions change after arriving in Thailand?

 

No.

[JLCrab]

What plans?

[dotpoom]

I live life one day at a time....so ...No.

[williamgeorgeallen]

i came over in 2006. ended up staying 10 years. move to nz next week with my 2 young kids and baby momma. my son turns 5 in jan so he will be starting school there next feb. we will be back in nz for 12 years till our daughter finishes high school. at least that is the plan.

[gfields54]

Not mine, mid 2006 arrival found a relative easiness about living here. I got a Weber also. 

 

[Deepinthailand]

Plans never work wing it always worked for me came here on a whim. stayed for a while still here a great while longer plans for tomorrow non let's see what comes.

[villagefarang]

There have been so many twists and turns during my very long tenure here in Thailand it would make for a very long story, so I’ll give the short version, Yes.  I would be more surprised if someone were able to come here with a plan and stick to it.                                               

 

I have noticed that about every ten years there is a major inflection point in my life.

[eldragon]

Gotta admit, I looked at the size of your post and just skipped to the bottom. Yeah, my plans changed, and changed again, just like they would anywhere else I happened to be living.

 

But to be more specific, I did not come here looking for a woman. In fact, I was kinda trying to get away from one. Did not take long to realize how attractive and easygoing Thai girls are, so I decided I'd stay awhile and find a wife. Eventually I realized it's mostly fringe hookers, gold diggers, and rejects that go out with foreigners. Suddenly that girl back home I was trying to forget about looked a lot better.

[1FinickyOne]

I have a long history with Thailand that goes back to 1974 - - been plenty of changes in my life along the way and I never expected that things would be the same in 3 years from the date... oddly, I have been in my wife's village for about a dozen years now and that is about as long as I have ever spent anywhere, but no, I did not plan on ever having a kid, or dogs again, or staying in one place -- but, I knew there would be changes... 

[paulsingle]

After 15 years of annual fortnight holidays, I'm now here for 7 and a half months having taken a sabbatical. The plan is to go back to the UK next year and work again as I'm not sure I can afford to stop work yet. (I'm 59 now)

3 months in I'm already thinking the prospect of going back to the UK to work is more and more unattractive.

I may end up making some financial compromises to stay here rather than go back and work.

I'll let you know what happens.

[JAFO]

20 minutes ago, paulsingle said:

I may end up making some financial compromises to stay here rather than go back and work.

 

Funny, that's what I said 10+ years ago and actually did do it and was happy with it all for first 3 or so years. I probably could have stuck with my plan but I realized I wasn't ready to compromise as deeply as it was going to take. I wasn't even 50 yet. Meeting my now wife was never part of any thoughts. I wasn't even looking. Didn't even care. In fact after we first met I did not talk to her for almost 2 months. We exchanged emails and I sat on it.

 

So I went from the plan of a rental house and doing my own thing to married with a nice house in the North.

 

I laughed as what started this thought, I was moving those 2 original suitcases around cleaning. Guess I will keep them. 

 

 

[louse1953]

55 minutes ago, paulsingle said:

After 15 years of annual fortnight holidays, I'm now here for 7 and a half months having taken a sabbatical. The plan is to go back to the UK next year and work again as I'm not sure I can afford to stop work yet. (I'm 59 now)

3 months in I'm already thinking the prospect of going back to the UK to work is more and more unattractive.

I may end up making some financial compromises to stay here rather than go back and work.

I'll let you know what happens.

Your a long time retired mate.A few more years on the treadmill could make all the difference.Can you do 6 months in either country?

[paulsingle]

12 hours ago, louse1953 said:

Your a long time retired mate.A few more years on the treadmill could make all the difference.Can you do 6 months in either country?

That is a good plan. It has crossed my mind as well. May to September working in UK then October to April In Thailand . 

I think that could work for me for a few years more.

[Thaiwrath]

As far as plans go, I do the same as the D.S.I.

If one goes tits up, I make another one.

Not ideal, but it keeps the never ending saga going !

[Anon999]

NO!

[mcfish]

Op tink to mut

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[JLCrab]

On 12/6/2016 at 5:59 PM, villagefarang said:

There have been so many twists and turns during my very long tenure here in Thailand it would make for a very long story <snip>

Bill Clinton's My Life only took 1008 pages so why not give it a shot?

[marko kok prong]

yes,my petting zoo business crashed,the sheep couldn't take the heat,and got cranky,my prize Norfolk bantams faded to nothing,then the hot season arrived the lush grass died,i was left with a wasteland,of empty pens and dead trees ,i would continue but i am getting emotional,anyway i thought it was a sure thing,lost a few quid,but never mind.

[Old Croc]

Yes.

I liquidated my assets before leaving Australia and left the funds in managed accounts and banks with the plan to live in Thailand completely from the profits/interest gained.

I was planning to abide by the often, stridently expressed on Thaivisa, dictum, "Rent Don't Buy".

I did so for about 20 months, but found two things:

One, the world still had a hangover from the GFC and there was little profit to be gained by sitting on funds.

And, two, I hated living in someone else's investment house with cheap fittings, furniture and style. It brought back bad memories from a younger life where I was forced to accept second class surroundings.

I changed my plan by transferring part of the funds to Thailand to enable me to purchase a house, better than, and  for a third of the price of the one I had sold off in Australia. Renovations and new fittings (an ongoing task!) have turned  it into a home.

The residue of my funds does pay me a dividend. but still struggles to make much headway.

 

[baneko]

Had no plans to move here full time until I saw what the tax man was robbing from me each month.

[zyphodb]

No, had mid life crisis in the UK sold everything, got divorced, came here 6 years ago winging it. Am now happily married again, still here & still winging it....

[catman20]

On Tuesday, December 06, 2016 at 4:59 PM, williamgeorgeallen said:

i ca me over in 2006. ended up staying 10 years. move to nz next week with my 2 young kids and baby momma. my son turns 5 in jan so he will be starting school there next feb. we will be back in nz for 12 years till our daughter finishes high school. at least that is the plan.

Sounds like your plans changed a lot. Dont tell me you came to thailand to start a family.

[NoshowJones]

On 12/6/2016 at 6:21 PM, eldragon said:

Gotta admit, I looked at the size of your post and just skipped to the bottom. Yeah, my plans changed, and changed again, just like they would anywhere else I happened to be living.

 

But to be more specific, I did not come here looking for a woman. In fact, I was kinda trying to get away from one. Did not take long to realize how attractive and easygoing Thai girls are, so I decided I'd stay awhile and find a wife. Eventually I realized it's mostly fringe hookers, gold diggers, and rejects that go out with foreigners. Suddenly that girl back home I was trying to forget about looked a lot better.

If your home is the UK, the chances are that "the girl back home" is a drinker and smoker, if you are one, then that will not bother you.

When I first came to Thailand, neither of the girls I dated were drinkers or smokers, but again, neither of them were bargirls or ex bargirls to my knowledge. but again, I would say about 50% of them were gold diggers, so I just took my time till I got the one I wanted, and have been with her now for 11 years.

[eldragon]

If your home is the UK, the chances are that "the girl back home" is a drinker and smoker, if you are one, then that will not bother you.
When I first came to Thailand, neither of the girls I dated were drinkers or smokers, but again, neither of them were bargirls or ex bargirls to my knowledge. but again, I would say about 50% of them were gold diggers, so I just took my time till I got the one I wanted, and have been with her now for 11 years.

Amazing insight. Yes, she seemed to have a drug problem. How did you know?


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[NoshowJones]

That was one of the reasons I decided to try and find a Thai wife and move to Thailand, I never had a problem dating women, but dating any who did not drink or smoke that as a big problem.

[dotpoom]

No.....I didn't have any....simply live one day at a time.

[dick dasterdly]

On 12/6/2016 at 5:59 PM, villagefarang said:

There have been so many twists and turns during my very long tenure here in Thailand it would make for a very long story, so I’ll give the short version, Yes.  I would be more surprised if someone were able to come here with a plan and stick to it.                                               

 

I have noticed that about every ten years there is a major inflection point in my life.

Know what you mean.....

 

I've been lucky insofar as most of my 'hopes' about retiring to Thailand worked out pretty well - despite some of those hopes/plans/intentions turning out very badly indeed.

[nervona81732]

I'm so happy for you. I have my own experience but many similarities, I would not trade this life I have in Issan for ALL the tea in the USA ( the corporation ). My spirit is finally free. I have have a wonderful, most dedicated , loyal hard working partner ( wife of nearly 7 years ) and extended family to boot who I am so connected to. I promised myself when I left Vietnam that I was coming back there to live. Guess my compass was off a few degrees. Cheers and merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

 

Like Bill Hicks ( the comedian always said ) It's only a movie!!! Relax ,try to chill ( I know it's hard sometimes ) but it is ONLY a movie!

[mettech]

On 12/7/2016 at 8:24 AM, paulsingle said:

That is a good plan. It has crossed my mind as well. May to September working in UK then October to April In Thailand . 

I think that could work for me for a few years more.

I do the same i am retired per say at 69 yo and still work for 6 months in summer time and back here for winter. Trying to stay here but immigration regulation kind of discouraging me to move this way.