Goodbye to Thailand (for a while maybe)

[BKKBodhisattva]

31 minutes ago, Gonefortea said:

I don't need to listen to bar stool banter. I have research it's called an empty wallet three times to Western girlfriends who were common law wife's. So I'm pretty sure I know thank you.

Geezer, if your Western girlfriends were on the mortgages and made payments, then they were entitled to whatever they got.

If you put their names on the deeds even though they'd made no contribution to the ownership of the properties you lost then more fool you.

 

Edited February 24, 2017 by BKKBodhisattva

[giddyup]

2 hours ago, BKKBodhisattva said:

Geezer, if your Western girlfriends were on the mortgages and made payments, then they were entitled to whatever they got.

If you put their names on the deeds even though they'd made no contribution to the ownership of the properties you lost then more fool you.

 

Think he would have learned something after getting ripped off the first time.

[catman20]

11 hours ago, Gonefortea said:

That's because I do legally after 6 months of living together you are classed as common law married. So it seems despite your blustering and posturing it's you who knows very little despite thinking you do.

i have to agree with giddyup, i lived with several women in the uk over 6 months i walk away with all my stuff. ive herd all this BS before, whether its a fact or not i dont know but i have never herd of someone losing any thing after having a live in g/f for over 6 months not even after 2/3 years if theirs no children involved.

[catman20]

10 hours ago, BKKBodhisattva said:

Geezer, if your Western girlfriends were on the mortgages and made payments, then they were entitled to whatever they got.

If you put their names on the deeds even though they'd made no contribution to the ownership of the properties you lost then more fool you.

 

who going to do that????????????? with some bird you shacked up with only a fool

Edited February 24, 2017 by catman20

[JAFO]

While this has gone far off topic, in the US the couple has to be living together 10 years before the government considers it common law community property.  I am not sure what country considers 6 month as community property.  Sounds like someone is a bit misinformed or confused.. I guess one could argue that if a couple bought large assets during their first 6 months and at the 8 month mark broke it off they might be able to sue each other for their part back but highly doubt the government considers it community property.  This would just be a battle in court in which case the lawyers win and both parties lose anyway. LOL. 

[kunfish]

My wife is 43. Wonderful woman. No kids. No ex husband. No baggage. No drama. Owned own house , car, employed. We moved to the US.  I started new job. She got a job. ~3 years later she was a US citizen and about 5 months later we moved back to Thailand. We both decided we like it far more then the states for a myriad of reasons. My wife wasn't all that fond of the US and we had a choice to stay without issues.
 
I wish the OP the best. Thailand isn't for everybody and sometimes the idea of moving abroad doesn't turn out to be the glamorous life they had envisioned. I find the ones that complain the most are ones who thought they could retire here without a plan and consumes them quickly.
 
 

My Thai wife and I are in the states. We are considering to move to Thailand in a couple of years.

What do you like about Thailand over America?


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[JAFO]

29 minutes ago, kunfish said:

My Thai wife and I are in the states. We are considering to move to Thailand in a couple of years.

What do you like about Thailand over America?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Well It might be better to PM you if that's OK. The reason I say that is because this would likely turn into a flame fest because of some of the typical audience here in TVF. 555

 

In the grand scheme of things both places have pro's and cons and your decision will boil down to yours and your wife's place in life, expectations and plan. 

 

 

[Gecko123]

6 hours ago, kunfish said:

What do you like about Thailand over America?

I'd like to take a stab at answering your question.

 

To begin, America is fairly racially polarized. A Thai wife will often be subjected to social stigmas due to being non-white, a non-native English speaker, and having a non-Western educational background. If there is a sizable age difference between her and her Western spouse, she will also  likely suffer the stigma of being perceived as a mail-order bride or a gold digger. Say what you will about Thais, they are much less judgmental and more laissez-faire about this than most Western cultures. If there are those who are howling in protest about how assimilated and welcomed their Thai wives were made to feel, all I can say is, maybe so, but I lived in the US until I was 50, and have had plenty of experience observing how people react to multi-racial couples, many of whom the wife came from SE Asia (mainly the Phillipines and Thailand). If you still doubt that this prejudice exists, all you have to do is watch a few episodes of "90 Day Visa' to see how people react.

 

American culture also is plagued by rising social isolation and alienation. Compare the ease of interacting with strangers in Thailand and in the U.S. In America you risk getting pepper sprayed or shot if you are the wrong color or attempt to talk to someone you don't know. Despite all the TV sitcoms and advertisements depicting happy couples, families and 'friends', social isolation and loneliness can be real problems for some people newly adjusting to American life. Most Thais that I have ever met really value social cohesion, not just that which comes from one's immediate and extended family, but from the immediately surrounding community, not to mention the larger Thai family to which all Thais belong.

 

Cost of living is a big issue. While a western spouse can almost certainly earn more money back home than they can in Thailand, a Thai spouse with non-native English skills, non western educational credentials, and non-western work history, might find herself limited to relatively menial jobs, at least initially.

 

The gun culture, the mass shootings at schools and movie theaters, and terrorism risk, are also negatives for living in the US of A.

 

I recognize that America and other countries in the West have a lot to offer those who chose to live there, and I certainly have a lot to be grateful for in term of the educational and employment opportunities which were afforded me. I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from moving there. A number of the negative points I've highlighted focus on the pros and cons of moving to the West from the Thai woman's perspective, something which I often suspect many men fail to fully consider.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2017 by Gecko123

[Stevemercer]

I agree with the above comments, but there are other advantages for a Thai living in a western culture.

 

My Thai wife says she is the 'black sheep' of the family. She likes her independence and freedom to do what she wants. In conservative rural Thailand, she must dress to conform and conform with the unwritten rules. She must be responsive to her family demands and also work at her social positioning and face.

 

In Australia, nobody cares. She can dress how she wants, wear low cut cleavage tops, say what she wants, do what she wants. Part of this freedom is, of course, just being remote from her family. She relishes this freedom, including talking about Thai politics and royalty with her many Thai friends in Australia.

 

It is a bit of a paradox. For a westerner, Thailand represents greater freedom because we don't suffer the myriad of regulations and controls that plague our day to day living. Here in Thailand, it seems we can do whatever we want provided we stay out of the politics of the country (which is reserved for hi-so Thais), and don't feed the fish near coral reefs.

 

For a Thai, a western country can provide greater personal freedom to do what they want without social censure. Many find it hard away from their family and social support networks in Thailand, but they quickly make new friends

 

My wife deliberately sent her son to Australia for 6 months because he will have to do everything himself. Many Thai children, even when adults, seem to be treated like princes/princesses. They can always fall back on the crutch of the family support system if they find things a little tough.

 

[kunfish]

10 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I'd like to take a stab at answering your question.

 

To begin, America is fairly racially polarized. A Thai wife will often be subjected to social stigmas due to being non-white, a non-native English speaker, and having a non-Western educational background. If there is a sizable age difference between her and her Western spouse, she will also  likely suffer the stigma of being perceived as a mail-order bride or a gold digger. Say what you will about Thais, they are much less judgmental and more laissez-faire about this than most Western cultures. If there are those who are howling in protest about how assimilated and welcomed their Thai wives were made to feel, all I can say is, maybe so, but I lived in the US until I was 50, and have had plenty of experience observing how people react to multi-racial couples, many of whom the wife came from SE Asia (mainly the Phillipines and Thailand). If you still doubt that this prejudice exists, all you have to do is watch a few episodes of "90 Day Visa' to see how people react.

 

American culture also is plagued by rising social isolation and alienation. Compare the ease of interacting with strangers in Thailand and in the U.S. In America you risk getting pepper sprayed or shot if you are the wrong color or attempt to talk to someone you don't know. Despite all the TV sitcoms and advertisements depicting happy couples, families and 'friends', social isolation and loneliness can be real problems for some people newly adjusting to American life. Most Thais that I have ever met really value social cohesion, not just that which comes from one's immediate and extended family, but from the immediately surrounding community, not to mention the larger Thai family to which all Thais belong.

 

Cost of living is a big issue. While a western spouse can almost certainly earn more money back home than they can in Thailand, a Thai spouse with non-native English skills, non western educational credentials, and non-western work history, might find herself limited to relatively menial jobs, at least initially.

 

The gun culture, the mass shootings at schools and movie theaters, and terrorism risk, are also negatives for living in the US of A.

 

I recognize that America and other countries in the West have a lot to offer those who chose to live there, and I certainly have a lot to be grateful for in term of the educational and employment opportunities which were afforded me. I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from moving there. A number of the negative points I've highlighted focus on the pros and cons of moving to the West from the Thai woman's perspective, something which I often suspect many men fail to fully consider.

 

 

 

 

My Thai wife and I are lucky to live in the Puget Sound area, esp. in an area that's highly diverse: cities just outside of Seattle. You can't walk through a mall without hearing half a dozen languages. But we drove out towards the ocean and we felt like aliens from another planet.

 

Yes, there is the racial component and surprised a lot of people, even in diverse areas, don't know how to deal with non-white people. It's crazy. You have an ESL teacher speaking loud and fast to students and parents - as if speaking loud and fast will make them understand? And not use pictures, but be verbal the entire time at parent teacher meetings? Weird. I guess you need to live in another country to understand the language challenges by non-native speakers.

 

The social isolation is terrible in the USA. I would say that some mental illnesses and homelessness are caused by the isolation. Today, seeing a couple of homeless fellows, young, maybe with some slight mental health issues. Maybe kicked out of their homes, but certainly no social network to help them except themselves. Sink or swim in America. 

 

Thais get along pretty well. My wife has found a couple of Thai students to stay with us and everyone's pretty happy and the cohesion is great. Good for us, good for them. I like that Thai people work to get along and don't make a big issue out of everything, like Americans - for better or worse.

 

There are high levels of tension here in America, even where we are. It's probably due to what I call general-ant-white/foreign xenophobia. An Indian guy was killed in Kansas by a guy who told them to go home. It's terrible and worse that our national leaders have not addressed this. A wall is going up along Mexico and we are generally rolling back to 1980's policies of coming down hard at a national level on marijuana and dismantling social programs like Social Security and health insurance. Many of use are apprehensive to go online and check the news. Everyday it's something new on several topics.

 

We have health insurance, but massive issues about what's covered. We will visit Thailand to get some medical things taken care of at a fraction of the cost. Politicians in America don't even want to talk about the real problem: out of control costs. My wife likes America, but the bad thing is health insurance.

 

We will likely pack it up and sell the house and move to Thailand. Not interested in worrying about being unemployed and having a mortgage hanging over our heads.

 

 

[Gecko123]

29 minutes ago, kunfish said:

My Thai wife and I are lucky to live in the Puget Sound area, esp. in an area that's highly diverse: cities just outside of Seattle. You can't walk through a mall without hearing half a dozen languages. But we drove out towards the ocean and we felt like aliens from another planet.

 

Yes, there is the racial component and surprised a lot of people, even in diverse areas, don't know how to deal with non-white people. It's crazy. You have an ESL teacher speaking loud and fast to students and parents - as if speaking loud and fast will make them understand? And not use pictures, but be verbal the entire time at parent teacher meetings? Weird. I guess you need to live in another country to understand the language challenges by non-native speakers.

 

The social isolation is terrible in the USA. I would say that some mental illnesses and homelessness are caused by the isolation. Today, seeing a couple of homeless fellows, young, maybe with some slight mental health issues. Maybe kicked out of their homes, but certainly no social network to help them except themselves. Sink or swim in America. 

 

Thais get along pretty well. My wife has found a couple of Thai students to stay with us and everyone's pretty happy and the cohesion is great. Good for us, good for them. I like that Thai people work to get along and don't make a big issue out of everything, like Americans - for better or worse.

 

There are high levels of tension here in America, even where we are. It's probably due to what I call general-ant-white/foreign xenophobia. An Indian guy was killed in Kansas by a guy who told them to go home. It's terrible and worse that our national leaders have not addressed this. A wall is going up along Mexico and we are generally rolling back to 1980's policies of coming down hard at a national level on marijuana and dismantling social programs like Social Security and health insurance. Many of use are apprehensive to go online and check the news. Everyday it's something new on several topics.

 

We have health insurance, but massive issues about what's covered. We will visit Thailand to get some medical things taken care of at a fraction of the cost. Politicians in America don't even want to talk about the real problem: out of control costs. My wife likes America, but the bad thing is health insurance.

 

We will likely pack it up and sell the house and move to Thailand. Not interested in worrying about being unemployed and having a mortgage hanging over our heads.

 

 

Some of Seattle's southern suburbs are some of the most racially and ethnically diverse areas in America, and what you described about being unable to walk through a mall without hearing multiple language is very true. Once you start driving outside along the I-5 corridor - either north or south it is quite a different story.

 

If you visit Seattle's downtown, a town which I love, you can be forgiven for thinking that its workplaces and community are quite diverse. But contrary to the myth, in terms of housing, Seattle is one of the most racially segregated areas in the country. In Seattle, the further North you go, the whiter the communities become, and vica versa to the south. But Seattle still gets my vote for where I would most like to live in America were I to move there with my Thai wife. Hawaii because of it's Pacific Islands/Asian racial mix also seems intriguing but I have never lived there.

 

The same problem with housing segregation is true In the Bay Area. Outside of San Bruno, pockets in Redwood City, and East Palo Alto, you have to go all the way to San Jose to find significant non-white populations. Cities like Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Belmont, Burlingame, Atherton, etc., despite their liberal and progressive political reputations, are actually incredibly racially segregated. SF as a whole may be fairly diversified but racial minorities live in specific neighborhoods. Most minorities cannot find affordable housing on the SF Peninsula, and more and more are forced to East Bay and outlying regions. When housing is racially segregated, that tells you a lot about how much racial and ethnic social integration is truly occurring.

 

I agree with you that the Thais natural outgoingness serves them well in the adjustment process, and that they are good networkers.

 

I agree with many of your political views, but I will save my commentary on this for more appropriate forums.

 

 

 

[Gecko123]

Stevemercer:

 

I appreciate your post. While I don't doubt that your wife feels more liberated living abroad, I found the characterization of Thai society as being oppressive, ultra-conformist, slavishly adhering to tradition, and being obsessed with safeguarding one's family reputation at all costs rather overstated. I don't think most Thais feel they live in the pressure cooker of social expectations described in your post. 

[kunfish]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

Some of Seattle's southern suburbs are some of the most racially and ethnically diverse areas in America, and what you described about being unable to walk through a mall without hearing multiple language is very true. Once you start driving outside along the I-5 corridor - either north or south it is quite a different story.

 

If you visit Seattle's downtown, a town which I love, you can be forgiven for thinking that its workplaces and community are quite diverse. But contrary to the myth, in terms of housing, Seattle is one of the most racially segregated areas in the country. In Seattle, the further North you go, the whiter the communities become, and vica versa to the south. But Seattle still gets my vote for where I would most like to live in America were I to move there with my Thai wife. Hawaii because of it's Pacific Islands/Asian racial mix also seems intriguing but I have never lived there.

 

The same problem with housing segregation is true In the Bay Area. Outside of San Bruno, pockets in Redwood City, and East Palo Alto, you have to go all the way to San Jose to find significant non-white populations. Cities like Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Belmont, Burlingame, Atherton, etc., despite their liberal and progressive political reputations, are actually incredibly racially segregated. SF as a whole may be fairly diversified but racial minorities live in specific neighborhoods. Most minorities cannot find affordable housing on the SF Peninsula, and more and more are forced to East Bay and outlying regions. When housing is racially segregated, that tells you a lot about how much racial and ethnic social integration is truly occurring.

 

I agree with you that the Thais natural outgoingness serves them well in the adjustment process, and that they are good networkers.

 

I agree with many of your political views, but I will save my commentary on this for more appropriate forums.

 

 

 

When my wife go out for the day, whether to the mall or the natural wonders in the Seattleish areas, I tell her it's "Asian Day" as it's frequently Asian where we go. The malls, the parks in the mountain or local hikes.

 

The white people stay home and watch TV?

 

My wife likes where we are. Have Asian supermarkets, whether Chinese or Korean centric. Just very lucky. A multicultural area to be sure. Any kind of foods you can find here. Everyone gets along. Good place of racial and social integration.

 

Didn't mean to step into any political discussions.

[kunfish]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

Stevemercer:

 

I appreciate your post. While I don't doubt that your wife feels more liberated living abroad, I found the characterization of Thai society as being oppressive, ultra-conformist, slavishly adhering to tradition, and being obsessed with safeguarding one's family reputation at all costs rather overstated. I don't think most Thais feel they live in the pressure cooker of social expectations described in your post. 

I find Thailand to be a "live and let live" enviroment. Quote from Starship Troopers movie, of all places.

 

America is more open, but don't find Thailand oppressive or more oppressive. Thais are pretty easy open, overall.

Edited February 25, 2017 by kunfish

[swissmaninthailand]

Watch this video and tell me who oppress us?

[oxo1947]

Goodbye to Thailand (for a while maybe)---OP

 

Why the indecision Elvis ? You have pointed out how very bad this place so why harbour thoughts on coming back to such a bad place....maybe the indecision is because its apparent from your post, that its not your decision--your wife will decide on all these minor matters-then tell you what's happening

On 22/2/2560 at 2:04 PM, ELVIS123456 said:

Although I will come back to live in Thailand if that is what the wife wants,

 

1/ And after 5 years of 'behaving' she can become an Australian Citizen (dual).

wrong--DUAL CITIZENSHIP:  in Thailand NOT RECOGNIZED. Exceptions: Child born abroad to Thai parents, who obtains the citizenship of the foreign country of birth, may retain dual citizenship until reaching the age of majority (18). At this point, person must choose which citizenship to retain.  www.multiplecitizenship.com/wscl/ws_THAILAND.html

 

2/ Once in Australia my wife will have 'full rights' and will be equal to all other persons - she can buy property, open any bank account, pay same price, call police, etc etc etc etc etc .

 

Wow open a bank account-&---call the police wish I could do that in Thailand--so the other 5 etc that you have put are what Elvis ??--couldn't think past being able to call the police in Australia-- Duel pricing, Its wrong and a stain on Thailand, but in all honesty it will not make me leave the country, mainly because the places that it happens -Parks etc, I don't visit--but it still does not alter the fact--its wrong.

 

Buying  a house---I suppose they did not have this law in affect when you came here did they ?? Honestly Elvis its like saying I don't want to live in America--just found out they drive on the wrong side of the road.,

As half your post is about your wonderful wife----what's the problem if the house is in her name ?

 

I think someone has pointed out the restriction on getting a property in Oz now....Legally I can buy a house in Oz--run for Parliament--be the next PM....financially the house would have to be in a desert town like Yuendumu   (apologies to the 849 people living in Yuendumu)

 

Anyway good luck let us all know what your doing----once your wife lets you know......

Edited March 7, 2017 by oxo1947

[Robert24]

good luck. Australia is a great country, great quality of life.

[dbrenn]

On 23/02/2017 at 11:00 AM, Bung said:

If you work in Australia for ten years you get a pension? Really? 

Only if you stay in Oz. If you leave you get 10/35ths of one 

[wildewillie89]

I am from Melbourne, and do love and miss Australia. However, all of those things other than owning land and dual citizenship you can get in Thailand. At the end of the day Thai rewards their own. So if you work and study hard or have the opportunity to then you will get rewarded. Yes, it is an elitist way of thinking but the country is ruled by elites after all. We all know that so it is on us to live with it if we move here, no matter how shit it is. 
 

I moved to Thailand when I was 26 years old. I opened my bank account on my initial tourist visa instantly. I then got married. The Thai government paid for my marriage certificate (as I was advertising a city for them). The day I received my marriage certificate I also received my free health cover (which has been good seeing as I had my appendix taken out and 2 dog bites recently - 0 baht). I also get free medicine, free health checks for work for the duration of my life. My wife will also get a substantial payout and pension when she retires (entitled to early retirement at 50 I think). This is important as moving here so early, Australia will probably not pay my pension unless i move back. 

 My child and future children are also entitled to free education until they finish their bachelor degree and half price private education from memory. I will apply for a PR visa after the 3 year marriage visas. Being one of the few 'young' farangs living here, most shops either give me things for free or at reduced prices (obviously a different story in tourist areas). Thai are famous for their generosity, outside of tourist areas of course. I think if you show you're married you will find most places let you in for the same price as your wife. As for the police, luckily I married into a family of police and army so I have never had any worries. 

Really there is only 2 things that annoy me here. One, is the money you need in  the bank for the visa, but I just open an Australian dollar to an Australian dollar account for the 3 months before hand. The second is more the way society is structured, that is the silly way they do things (no appointment times for example/driving etc). But for me, who has been given 2 rai of land to live on, cars/motorbikes, and the chance to design a home that costs my wife 3,000 baht a month - little building costs, low interest loan (and the government pay the rest), then I believe I can live with the shittier parts than trying to buy the same thing in Australia for 40 million baht. Also work is a breeze compared to back home. Again, my wife gets these rewards, as she studied and worked hard; level 6 government official at age 29 (10 levels in total). And your husband and children are also naturally entitled to the benefits. 

I think if you are going to move to a country that isn't as developed as your own you need to cross your t's and dot your i's. Otherwise you're just setting yourself up for a life of misery. Unless you have a crap load of money (I have none), then you either need to marry into a supportive family or, yes, take her back to Australia (where other issues will arise that didn't in Thai, like affording a home). 

Edited March 10, 2017 by wildewillie89

[JimCrane]

it gets easier to do as you get a bit older. don't need as much excitement, other priorities, infirmities, you get the idea, even for elvis.

[strikingsunset]

I've spent maybe 2 years of my life here over maybe 10 trips and to be honest I now hate the place - the blatant racism -flashpoint of danger at any objection - and in a bar In Phuket the bar manager told me the cotes de Rhone at 1200 baht a bottle was good value -::))))


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[swissmaninthailand]

I would avoid phuket if I was you. There are much better place than your phuket place. Phuket is nice for the beach. I think Pattaya is more fun.

[JayBird]

5 hours ago, swissmaninthailand said:

I would avoid phuket if I was you. There are much better place than your phuket place. Phuket is nice for the beach. I think Pattaya is more fun.

I've only spent a month in Phuket (continuously).

The beaches are quite nice.

The mountain pathways are very nice (not recommended if you are female unless in a large group -- its *very* deserted)

The food is not very good (except a few select restaurants).

The shopping is pretty limited.

The choice of attractions/fun-things-to-do is limited.

 

Pattaya has *much* better food and shopping.

Pattaya has a lot more attractions/fun-things-to-do.

Just much less nature.

 

[Nowisee]

On 2/25/2017 at 0:18 PM, JAFO said:

Well It might be better to PM you if that's OK. The reason I say that is because this would likely turn into a flame fest because of some of the typical audience here in TVF. 555

 

In the grand scheme of things both places have pro's and cons and your decision will boil down to yours and your wife's place in life, expectations and plan. 

 

 

 Hands down the US.  Much nicer place.  To each is own.  

For me, maybe another year here and I'm moving on.  Too many nicer places to spend my life, my time and my money.

[robertthebruce]

 

 

Biggest gripe for me with Thailand, is the Dangers of the road....

 

Health Care is also an issue...it's not cheap if anything happens.....

 

but as for the rest, yes, can handle it, even the stifling weather.....

 

 

[strikingsunset]

What does my head in is the total lack of any actual intellectual stimulation .. it's ... well


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[JAFO]

10 hours ago, Nowisee said:

 Hands down the US.  Much nicer place.  To each is own.  

For me, maybe another year here and I'm moving on.  Too many nicer places to spend my life, my time and my money.

Well I disagree on the US. Was just there and glad to be returning home to Thailand.  But again depends on what one wants to fixate on as to the reason they like one place or the other. You can argue both endlessly.  

[JAFO]

10 hours ago, robertthebruce said:

 

 

Biggest gripe for me with Thailand, is the Dangers of the road....

 

Health Care is also an issue...it's not cheap if anything happens.....

 

but as for the rest, yes, can handle it, even the stifling weather.....

 

 

I was just in the US. Saw endless accidents and Terrible drivers and drive over some of the worst roads.  In the US the biggest issue is murder. It's everywhere and everyday.  Small town. Big town. Doesn't matter.  I sat with my parents in the morning and everyday was a new shooting death or multiple homicide.  It's weird. People in the US are callised to it.. 

 

As for medical.. depends on your personal health status and how dependant one is on having to be near their doctor.  

[JayBird]

You can buy medical insurance in Thailand and it's not that expensive (depending on age and if you want outpatient coverage).  I would earmark about 1k USD/year. 

 

USA vs. Thailand is hard to say which is better, as it's very personal choice.  I've lived in both and personally I prefer Thailand:

 

1) Cheaper cost of living (especially for tasks that need manual labour, like getting a man in to fix the plumbing)

2) Cheaper food (except steak / foreign food)

3) NIcer weather (I like it hot, so it's basically Florida vs. Thailand)

4) Greater conveniences (more shops open, all the time, everywhere.  Even banks open on weekends.  No real sense of 'Oh it's sunday, everything is closed'.  That doesn't apply here).

5) Easy to fly to neighbouring countries for variety.

6) More people speak English in Thailand...... (Okey, slight joke... But every time I went into McDonalds they only spoke Spanish... my Spanish got better tho).

 

Oh it might be disputed, but I get the feel that there is less violent crime in Thailand than USA.  (I can walk around at night and won't get held up at gun point or shot in gang warfare, which happens in the US... One day I'll recite a story of me strolling accidentally through East Palo Alto).

 

Before making the commitment one should come and stay in a couple of places in Thailand for at least a month or so each to get a better feel.  It is important to note that Visiting in Thailand is very different than being an Expat in Thailand.  I actually feel that Thailand is better for Expats than it is for Tourists (as an Expat you learn to ignore/avoid all the tourist traps & tricks and access the benefits of being an expat).

 

 

 

[Rhys]

All the best mate, follow your plan..drive on..Enjoy.