SURVEY: Do you regret moving to Thailand?

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My former Thai wife's family are still friendly, my former Thai wife is as friendly as I'll let her be.

They all come and visit me and the kids, I go and visit them.

No money is ever involved, although they buy stuff for the kids.

Same here no problems, then again I don't expect to be treated like royalty the way some foreigners do.

[allanos]

6 minutes ago, Bournville said:

Yes. I do regret it. It was a waste of nearly 6 years. The most telling factor is Thai freindliness... I have ZERO Thai freinds... not counting the Thai females who were only my freinds for financial gain.

No sense of community. Not in the city. Not at the beach and absolutely not in the countryside... I tried! 555. I'm outgoing... Thai are generally a closed society, with zero to little curiosity about the world around them... so I'm SOL. 555

I think Thailand would be a horrible place to get old and infirm... especially if still single... I'm getting out while I'm fit and able. I need a community.

Be happy
 

You don't think you will have the same problem elsewhere?  There aren't too many places where they put out a "welcome mat".  People are people the world over.  Superficially they may look different, culturally they almost certainly will be different, but, bottom line, the characteristics and emotions are the same all over the globe.  Without wishing to sound patronising, perhaps you should do a bit of introspection, and see if the problem lies within.

[Bournville]

You don't think you will have the same problem elsewhere?  There aren't too many places where they put out a "welcome mat".  People are people the world over.  Superficially they may look different, culturally they almost certainly will be different, but, bottom line, the characteristics and emotions are the same all over the globe.  Without wishing to sound patronising, perhaps you should do a bit of introspection, and see if the problem lies within.

Your reply was very obvious. I'm very in tune with who I am and what I do or do nor contribute.

I disagree. A welcome mat, as you put it, can be found in many other countries.

Be happy

[brokenbone]

i think thais are very easy going, but more then 99 out of 100 are when it comes to it looking for a free meal, and that includes the rich thais as well.

why go dutch when a westerner is around to pay the bill ?

 

Edited February 11, 2019 by brokenbone

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, brokenbone said:

i think thais are very easy going, but more then 99 out of 100 are when it comes to it looking for a free meal, and that includes the rich thais as well.

why go dutch when a westerner is around to pay the bill ?

 

Sounds like a sweedish to me!

[BobbyL]

I first came here at 23 back in 2011. Loved it then but not as much now.  

 

I planned on just a year or so but I met my now wife in that first year and I ended up for four years here before we moved to England together. We lived in England for two years and got married there before we moved back to Bangkok in August 2017.  

 

I enjoy living in Bangkok and our combined salaries mean we live an extremely easy life. I am a primary school teacher so working here is far easier than teaching in the UK and the salary and benefits far exceed what I would be earning back home too. 

 

I think it is great for now (I'm 31 and she is 29) and if we end up having kids soon at least we don't have to worry about international school fees. Part of me does feel a place like Bangkok is a young man's city and I am not sure I could see myself here in my 40s or 50s. Also, as we'll have a British/Thai child I would like them to experience life in England at some point too, but not the sh**show that it is there right now????. 

[Bournville]

i think thais are very easy going, but more then 99 out of 100 are when it comes to it looking for a free meal, and that includes the rich thais as well.
why go dutch when a westerner is around to pay the bill ?
 

555. Exactly. Very easy going

Be happy

[Saltire]

I lived in Siem Reap, Cambodia for 5 years up until 2 years ago. Back then I regularly met many expat-refugees from Thailand, some long-termers who had given up and decided on Cambodia, for many of the same reasons that are unsettling many now. Then I started to travel to Thailand on holiday as a change from Cambodia where I met my now girlfriend. I liked it equally, although the people are vastly different. Ex-Thai expats told me not to go and was crazy not to stay where I was, and went into great detail as to why I should stay in Cambodia, but I went to Thailand anyway.

 

So far I have no regrets. The changing immigration rules don't worry me 'yet' but the uncertainty does, mainly from a healthcare perspective. I have costly insurance from the UK but to be honest with so many pre-existing conditions it's probably not worth it. I could weather 1 or maybe 2 major health issues but then I could be in serious trouble if I remained sick for any period. I try my best to live well and stay healthy but who knows. For example should I get sick AND the immigration banked sum goes way up, I'd probably have to reconsider plan B which is still back to Cambodia (although the health care there is atrocious compared to Thailand).

 

I don't stress too much and at the moment the changes do not affect me but it's what, if anything, is coming next.

[observer90210]

Maybe some answers could change when the THB will yield say 28 THB = 1 US$ !!!.. I definately would not stay on if the exchange rate continues to dwindle and cheat me of my valuable foreign exchange, just to fill the pockets of a greedy bunch on the top !

[Tropicalevo]

On 2/10/2019 at 11:39 AM, billd766 said:

So you prefer the military government of Thailand over the inept, lying, scheming and scumbag politicians, who at least could be voted out.

 

No, IMHO the junta are far worse. They stole the country.

As opposed to some recent and not so recent people who sold the country?

[Tropicalevo]

On 2/10/2019 at 2:18 PM, Yellowtail said:

Like everything else, the polls are for entertainment, what else would they be for?

 

I think they should have a "Do you plant to Die in Thailand?" poll.

Yes I do, but not today please.

[joecoolfrog]

18 hours ago, madmen said:

Bar girls are nice to you because they are telling you what you want to hear, its there job. straight girls are not interested in old men so in comparison can come across as appalling . No different to the west where straight girls will give a crusty old guy trying to be cute an appalling look as well

Ridiculous stereotyping.

Edited February 11, 2019 by joecoolfrog

[joecoolfrog]

19 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Only a small percentage of women in Thailand are prostitutes. 

I guess that depends on how one defines ' prostitute ' or ' small ' lol.

I dont think many people would 

disagree that a considerable number of Thai men and women work in the sex trade.

[Spaniel]

Back in 1967 when I went to work for Philco-Ford Corp.  they gave me the choice of either working in Vietnam or Thailand.    I chose Korat.    Permanately settled here with Thai wife about 30 years ago.    I don't mind the visa hassles but would be nice to see the embassy letter reinstated!

[BritManToo]

16 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

I guess that depends on how one defines ' prostitute ' or ' small ' lol.

I dont think many people would 

disagree that a considerable number of Thai men and women work in the sex trade.

And a considerable number of Thai women will marry an old white man.

Which the old guys then claim isn't the same, because despite being old, fat and bald, they have incredible personalities and can't understand why white women never noticed.

[joecoolfrog]

16 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

And a considerable number of Thai women will marry an old white man.

Which the old guys then claim isn't the same, because despite being old, fat and bald, they have incredible personalities and can't understand why white women never noticed.

Its mostly about security ,many people prostitute themselves without directly charging for sex.

As I said before there are nice girls and not so nice , working in a bar doesn't change the equation.

 

[GalaxyMan]

2 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

Its mostly about security ,many people prostitute themselves without directly charging for sex.

As I said before there are nice girls and not so nice , working in a bar doesn't change the equation.

 

Absolutely true, in every country I've ever been in. Thailand is not the least bit unique in that regard, they just have a different style.

[Tropicalevo]

8 hours ago, swifty5x5 said:

I would rather have moved to Cambodia.

We would rather that you had too!!! (555)

 

Sorry - seriously  though, have you actually lived there?

 

Rent and the finer things in life are very expensive. Getting even more expensive in the Chinese areas. (Sihanoukville etc) Non Chinese cannot get served in some places. Some parts of Phnom Penh look more like China than Cambodia.

 

Yes - the girls and drinks are cheaper. Half decent food is more expensive. The infrastructure is still way behind Thailand.

 

I have been going there since 2001 and my last visit was last November. It is a great place to visit, but to live????

 

Spend some time there before you jump.

[Yellowtail]

58 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

I guess that depends on how one defines ' prostitute ' or ' small ' lol.

I dont think many people would 

disagree that a considerable number of Thai men and women work in the sex trade.

I guess that depends on how one defines a considerable number, yes?

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, allanos said:

I fail to see how the divorce "rules", as you call them, were such that you were totally wiped out financially.  It would seem to me that you should have walked away with 50% of assets, pensions, etc., at the very worst.  

How naive you are.

 

Divorced my first wife in the early '80s. Lost house, car, bank account, kids and most of my take home pay. There was no equality back then. Little lady got everything - I started from scratch. No regrets.

 

"Do you regret moving to Thailand?"

 

Hell no.

Loved every day for the last 20 years.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2019 by Tropicalevo

[Yellowtail]

3 hours ago, mngmn said:

Who said anything about being economically responsible or having no savings? I posted to share some the things I have learned (through making mistakes) in the hope it might be of use to someone. Not in an attempt to make myself feel superior to others because of their failings.

 

I said something about it, but I in no way meant to imply you were attempting to make yourself feel superior.

 

Guilty conscious? 

[granuaile]

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Many go to Thailand for sex... You moved to Thailand with your Wife... 

 

Your Singaporean Wife would only have sex with you in Thailand? so you now come here for an annual vacation?  

 

 

ok... ok... just kidding... I get what you are saying...   Everyone else (ok, many) go to Thailand for sex, but not you.... 

Definitely not why I came here, and while it might be true of a large number of expats I can think of so many reasons to come to Thailand instead of sex. 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

Rent and the finer things in life are very expensive.

My pal just rented a condo in Phom Pehn, $250/month including aircon, cable TV, electricity, water, internet.

Doesn't seem all that expensive, what's a condo in Bangkok go for these days?

Edited February 11, 2019 by BritManToo

[billd766]

39 minutes ago, granuaile said:

Definitely not why I came here, and while it might be true of a large number of expats I can think of so many reasons to come to Thailand instead of sex. 

I came here for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th time because of work. The first 3 my company sent me and the other 2 because I was a contractor.

 

I met my current Thai wife on the 1st trip 3 months, came back a year later on the 2nd trip for 3 1/2 years by which time I figured out that I would prefer to be with her in Thailand instead of still being married in the UK.

 

I split up and divorced in 1997/99 and remarried in 2000 in the UK.

 

I finally moved here in 2001 and have been here ever since working offshore until I retired in 2009.

 

I knew my Thai wife 7 years before we married (19 years in April).

[dick dasterdly]

I LOVE where I live, as it's very close to my 'dream' - so no, I don't regret moving to Thailand.

 

Of course some things are very annoying and stressful - mainly Immigration and being seriously 'ripped off' on one occasion (by a farang....).

 

 Occasionally I get a bit annoyed by the odd Thai for far smaller amounts.

[Yellowtail]

5 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

I LOVE where I live, as it's very close to my 'dream' - so no, I don't regret moving to Thailand.

 

Of course some things are very annoying and stressful - mainly Immigration and being seriously 'ripped off' on one occasion (by a farang....).

 

 Occasionally I get a bit annoyed by the odd Thai for far smaller amounts.

 

Stop hanging around with odd Thails.

[GalaxyMan]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

My pal just rented a condo in Phom Pehn, $250/month including aircon, cable TV, electricity, water, internet.

Doesn't seem all that expensive, what's a condo in Bangkok go for these days?

Yeah, but who wants to live in a shiithole like Phnom Penh? Disgusting place.

[Neeranam]

Came here in 1992 for meditation and medication. Had some terrible times through drink and drugs but the good times outweigh them, getting sober nearly 20 years ago.

[Neeranam]

12 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

Yeah, but who wants to live in a shiithole like Phnom Penh? Disgusting place.

It's the end of the lines for many I've known, but don't really want to know.

[BritManToo]

12 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

Yeah, but who wants to live in a shiithole like Phnom Penh? Disgusting place.

I've never been, but these are the same guys that invited me to HCMC and I loved it, then invited me to Siam Reap and I loved it. So who should I believe, guys that have taken me to places before that I enjoyed.

Or a poster with under 200 posts on an anonymous forum who may never have visited Asia?

Edited February 12, 2019 by BritManToo