Here We Go Again

[khunandy]

The wife and I have decided to pop home to farangland for xmas with the family. Australian Customs went through us like a dose of salts and confiscated most of our xmas gifts but no surprises there. The 50 km Taxi ride cost me the same as a recent spur of the moment taxi ride from Bangkok to Khon Kaen...no surprises there either.

Arriving at our city apartment found the garage door kicked in and the strorage lockup looted...hmm no surprises there I guess, found the phone had been cut off because the auto payment in place had for some reason failed.

Picked up a bit of mail the neighbour collected for me and there is a notice to pick up a registered letter from the post office. I remember days in the past where this would induce fantasies of special news, maybe a lottery win or special Christmas parcel from someone but these days it will no doubt be something from the Child Support Agency wanting to audit me or from the tax department wanting to know where is my 2006 tax return.

I HATE these "Please explain" letters "Dear Khun Andy, we miss your 30K contribution etc etc"

Why do these registered mail cards tighten my guts and fill me with dread these days.

To think that 72 hours ago we were having cold Chang next to our pond, eating BBQ river prawns and Laab Moo discussing the latest building progress on our house in paradise.

On the bright side my newly born grandson is beautiful and the kids are all ok . I wish they could all move to LOS and share my new life..the impossible dream.

Oh well, 10 days to go

[kayo]

Hey khunandy...

bad biz this farangland stuff..

I feel for you sir.

kayo

[jumnien]

I'm taking the wife, the kid, the mother-in-law back to California for Xmas - luckily just 2.5 weeks. It's always good to see a few friends and Mom and Dad, but there is no better feeling in the world than returning to Thailand. I hope your trip goes better and you get back to LOS quickly.

[Soph]

Its a shame for you to be wishing your life away, you should enjoy the short time you have back there in whatever way you can. Have a nice time anyway.

[khunandy]

Its a shame for you to be wishing your life away, you should enjoy the short time you have back there in whatever way you can. Have a nice time anyway.

Hi Soph,

Thanks for the wishes of a nice time and I will sure it will turn out that way, however you might be missing my point, my life in Thailand is nice, tranquil and uncomplicated..whenever I dip my toes back in to the western aquarium I am immedietly inconvenienced by red tape and big brother...wishing my life away?? Not a chance, I am simply already yearning for my return to LOS.

On the bright side the registered mail was from a concert pianist I met in Bangkok Airport some six months ago and he sent me a complimentry CD of his latest studio recording...see, all that gut ache for nothing. Surely a sympton of western society though don't you think.

Have a nice xmas

Khun Andy

[aussiecollin]

The wife and I have decided to pop home to farangland for xmas with the family. Australian Customs went through us like a dose of salts and confiscated most of our xmas gifts but no surprises there. The 50 km Taxi ride cost me the same as a recent spur of the moment taxi ride from Bangkok to Khon Kaen...no surprises there either.

Arriving at our city apartment found the garage door kicked in and the strorage lockup looted...hmm no surprises there I guess, found the phone had been cut off because the auto payment in place had for some reason failed.

Picked up a bit of mail the neighbour collected for me and there is a notice to pick up a registered letter from the post office. I remember days in the past where this would induce fantasies of special news, maybe a lottery win or special Christmas parcel from someone but these days it will no doubt be something from the Child Support Agency wanting to audit me or from the tax department wanting to know where is my 2006 tax return.

I HATE these "Please explain" letters "Dear Khun Andy, we miss your 30K contribution etc etc"

Why do these registered mail cards tighten my guts and fill me with dread these days.

To think that 72 hours ago we were having cold Chang next to our pond, eating BBQ river prawns and Laab Moo discussing the latest building progress on our house in paradise.

On the bright side my newly born grandson is beautiful and the kids are all ok . I wish they could all move to LOS and share my new life..the impossible dream.

Oh well, 10 days to go

Khun Andy

Well, I initially had a reaction that if you don't like OZ then renounce your citizenship and pi** off!

Then I though of my situation, spent 9 years in Singapore (you know that place, police state and like living in McDonalds) and upon returnig found my stored furniture in a terrible state.

Thankfull that Johnny Howard is looking after me and the terrible imminent threat by those naughty Lakemba people....and for that I pay tax...helps keep the GWB relationship in good health...

Don't know what the heck I am thinking about here, and best go to bed and sleep off the Chivas....

Meantime, have a great Chrissy and 2007.

(hic)

Colin

[kayo]

Its a shame for you to be wishing your life away, you should enjoy the short time you have back there in whatever way you can. Have a nice time anyway.

Hi Soph,

Thanks for the wishes of a nice time and I will sure it will turn out that way, however you might be missing my point, my life in Thailand is nice, tranquil and uncomplicated..whenever I dip my toes back in to the western aquarium I am immedietly inconvenienced by red tape and big brother...wishing my life away?? Not a chance, I am simply already yearning for my return to LOS.

On the bright side the registered mail was from a concert pianist I met in Bangkok Airport some six months ago and he sent me a complimentry CD of his latest studio recording...see, all that gut ache for nothing. Surely a sympton of western society though don't you think.

Have a nice xmas

Khun Andy

Khun Andy,

If you don't mind my posting here, it just got me thinking about similar discussion I've had in the past.

I've lived outside of my home continent (europe/uk) for most of my working life, and have avoided moving back either temporarily or permanently for years. I will be next year, but that's another topic.

A large part of why I've stayed in SEAsia and central america, is this ease and comfort which we all know and love. live in a peaceful place, beautiful etc etc... and relatively hassle free.

The red tape and bureaucracy are a large cause, in mine eyes, of the stress which incorporates living a legitimate life at home. If it's not one thing, it's another, be it insurances, taxes (and returns) whatever... it feels sometimes like you have to account for every moment and aspect of your life, back home.

In LOS, god.. I could just switch off for a few weeks, return to society, whatever.. didn't read the newspapers for weeks at a time, had no nasty letters starting "dear Sir" (in the best of circumstances)

None of that.

So I don't dislike my country. Not at all. But I see no reason why, in the world we live in, we can't do as you do, and spend our "quality time" in a country where we feel like our lives enriched by nth degree. And using our home nation as, well, as exactly that: A home (base) nation... A place to carry out our annual duties as a citizen of the world. Sort of like an office.

Kayo!

[khunandy]

Its a shame for you to be wishing your life away, you should enjoy the short time you have back there in whatever way you can. Have a nice time anyway.

Hi Soph,

Thanks for the wishes of a nice time and I will sure it will turn out that way, however you might be missing my point, my life in Thailand is nice, tranquil and uncomplicated..whenever I dip my toes back in to the western aquarium I am immedietly inconvenienced by red tape and big brother...wishing my life away?? Not a chance, I am simply already yearning for my return to LOS.

On the bright side the registered mail was from a concert pianist I met in Bangkok Airport some six months ago and he sent me a complimentry CD of his latest studio recording...see, all that gut ache for nothing. Surely a sympton of western society though don't you think.

Have a nice xmas

Khun Andy

Khun Andy,

If you don't mind my posting here, it just got me thinking about similar discussion I've had in the past.

I've lived outside of my home continent (europe/uk) for most of my working life, and have avoided moving back either temporarily or permanently for years. I will be next year, but that's another topic.

A large part of why I've stayed in SEAsia and central america, is this ease and comfort which we all know and love. live in a peaceful place, beautiful etc etc... and relatively hassle free.

The red tape and bureaucracy are a large cause, in mine eyes, of the stress which incorporates living a legitimate life at home. If it's not one thing, it's another, be it insurances, taxes (and returns) whatever... it feels sometimes like you have to account for every moment and aspect of your life, back home.

In LOS, god.. I could just switch off for a few weeks, return to society, whatever.. didn't read the newspapers for weeks at a time, had no nasty letters starting "dear Sir" (in the best of circumstances)

None of that.

So I don't dislike my country. Not at all. But I see no reason why, in the world we live in, we can't do as you do, and spend our "quality time" in a country where we feel like our lives enriched by nth degree. And using our home nation as, well, as exactly that: A home (base) nation... A place to carry out our annual duties as a citizen of the world. Sort of like an office.

Kayo!

Hi Kayo,

Yes mate that is what it is, the seemingly constant accountability.

I don't dislike my home country either and usually settle down after a few days but the initial impact of just how much attention is required to function normally here is a shock.

You gave me a great bit of advice in your post, I am going to think about my home here as the office, somewhere where I expect to deal with all the usual situations in order to live (part time) in my country..seems fair enough.

Hmmmmm, feeling a bit better already.

Andy

[Martin]

In about 1998, I met a surgeon in Singapore. He was from a small town in Malaysia and both he and his wife had Permanent Resident status in Singapore.

He told me that he, and many Malaysians with professional-level jobs in Singapore, called it "The World's Best Office" because (as in a good office) they got good money and had good working conditions, but left it behind every vacation and would leave it permanently on their Retirement Day.

[mexxx]

farangland gave you the means to live in paradise, best not to bite the hand that feeds!

[Thaicoon]

farangland gave you the means to live in paradise, best not to bite the hand that feeds!

Ferrangland ?, Talking about the UK now, it is still a Beautifull country, the only problem we have and is the same in most ferrang countrys i understand, is the idiots running them and all the stupid rules and red tape, also winter sucks, to much taxes and paying for dossers and people on benifits, which half of them, there is nothing wrong with, the decent hard working guy they screw with taxes.

The only means i have had to live in Paradise was not from the UK , But due to B L O O D Y hard graft, in the UK,

Your quote would be right if you were a civil servent or worked for the government

Edited February 9, 2007 by Thaicoon

[Nignoy]

The wife and I have decided to pop home to farangland for xmas with the family. Australian Customs went through us like a dose of salts and confiscated most of our xmas gifts but no surprises there. The 50 km Taxi ride cost me the same as a recent spur of the moment taxi ride from Bangkok to Khon Kaen...no surprises there either.

Arriving at our city apartment found the garage door kicked in and the strorage lockup looted...hmm no surprises there I guess, found the phone had been cut off because the auto payment in place had for some reason failed.

Picked up a bit of mail the neighbour collected for me and there is a notice to pick up a registered letter from the post office. I remember days in the past where this would induce fantasies of special news, maybe a lottery win or special Christmas parcel from someone but these days it will no doubt be something from the Child Support Agency wanting to audit me or from the tax department wanting to know where is my 2006 tax return.

I HATE these "Please explain" letters "Dear Khun Andy, we miss your 30K contribution etc etc"

Why do these registered mail cards tighten my guts and fill me with dread these days.

To think that 72 hours ago we were having cold Chang next to our pond, eating BBQ river prawns and Laab Moo discussing the latest building progress on our house in paradise.

On the bright side my newly born grandson is beautiful and the kids are all ok . I wish they could all move to LOS and share my new life..the impossible dream.

Oh well, 10 days to go

Can sympathise with you, 4 years ago we were in thailand and had to return to queensland because squatters had moved into our house and trashed it.took nearly 6 months to repair and redecorate, did not get much satisfaction in court,but we make up point of searching out the squatters 3 or 4 times a year and giving them a physical warning in the form of lumps and bruises Nignoy

[Martin]

Taking a realistic look at the near and medium future, I am afraid that I foresee 'farangland' getting a lot worse, but Thailand in with a chance of coming through less hurt.

'Farangland' lost its senses around fifty years ago, didn't learn from the 'writing on the wall' in the early 1970s, and is now getting more and more up the creek, with less and less to paddle with.

IMO, the UK appears the most vulnerable. What will they be able to do to earn money from other countries in twenty years time? I cannot see anything that they will be able to do that some other country won't be able to do much cheaper. It will be 'belt-tightening time' there with a vengeance. And the pounds of my pensions won't buy me many baht.

But Thailand is so far behind (especially rural Thailand), that it will be well ahead.

[khunandy]

farangland gave you the means to live in paradise, best not to bite the hand that feeds!

Ferrangland ?, Talking about the UK now, it is still a Beautifull country, the only problem we have and is the same in most ferrang countrys i understand, is the idiots running them and all the stupid rules and red tape, also winter sucks, to much taxes and paying for dossers and people on benifits, which half of them, there is nothing wrong with, the decent hard working guy they screw with taxes.

The only means i have had to live in Paradise was not from the UK , But due to B L O O D Y hard graft, in the UK,

Your quote would be right if you were a civil servent or worked for the government

I am here now on my next visit after the original post.

Hmmm, not too much has changed, there is still another letter from the taxation department (God bless 'em) but all in all after some previous advice I have taken on the approach of treating my trips back to OZ as a return to "The Office" and deal with things accordingly , or at least try. The problem now is that there is ALWAYS an inane reply from the government that I inevitably read 3 months after they send it therefore putting me in the "penalty zone".

Not to worry though as my contact with the home office slowly but surely decreases so will the correspondance. Oh one more thing, I did arrive at the LOS through hard graft but not in my home country, they have only benefitted from my expat income earned outside the country. I swear...some people always assume that that you owe the joint something and not the other way around. The jig is up Farangland, I am here to see members of my family 4 times a year but my obligation doesnt extent to forever sending you a percentage of my overseas earnings.

Bye bye

Khun Andy

PS Flame away