Pros and cons of living in Thailand

[JamesR]

9 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Yes, New Jersey people are wild ones, that is definitely for sure. I had a couple friend girls from their who came to Ca to live. Wild off the wall. Also knew some other friends from there. A lot of USA music was born from New Jersey. For you I can just picture it. Those were the days. 

It was 1995 and I had a great time in New Jersey.

One of the gang said he was 'connected' as in the Maffia but was laying low for a while, I didn't know if he was making it all up but I do know we were always at the front of the queue getting into some clubs and never had to pay an entrance fee. 

[JamesR]

11 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Yes, certainly your accent with the gals, and goes the other way for English and Australian women for the men. Well at least it used to over 2- 30 ++ years ago. New Jersey gals pride themselves on being different. And their accent if true to the area is gross with a no thank you. Now everyone carries guns in many states, my brother is one as well. But in all reality, most those people are safe, it is the gang bangers who are not.

Gang bangers........

I turned off the highway one exit too early in New Jersey, It was Either East or West Orange where I made the mistake of driving to.

I noticed the windows in shops had grills on the windows, the take away Chinese restaurants did not have open counters to serve the customers, they had a cage where they would open a flap and pass food to the customers.

I then noticed I was the only while person in the area, the black guys would glare at me as drove past them on the street.

At one crossroads junction with traffic lights I had to stop, opposite there was a gang of black people and they were wearing one leg of their trousers rolled up and all wore the same headgear.

They were all staring at me and talking to each other in an annoyed way.

I thought sod this, so I did a U-Turn through the red light and went back the way I had just come.

A week later in a bar I was talking to a policeman and he saids. "You should never, never make that mistake again, that place is off limits to us".

 

[AussieBob]

I thought the article overall was very much 'bog standard print' - mainly taken from travel related websites probably.  Certainly it was not written by a long term Expat.

Many have said most of the Pros and Cons already - especially the Pros.  I would add to the Pros that the 'rules' regarding girlfriends/wives are so very different in Thailand that anywhere in the west.  What you own before the relationship, you own after the relationship - which is not the case anywhere in the west.  I would add to the negatives the Immigration Laws and total lack of legal recognition for long term Expats.  Things like having to 'report' every 90 days and having to 'apply' to stay and keep spending 1 million Baht a year is an insult.  Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan - all offer far far better 'Expat Visas' including rights and privileges not available in what little Thailand allows Expats to have.  Since the Junta took over in 2014 the rules have only got worse, and are likely to get much worse while they stay in power. 

[HolyCowCm]

3 hours ago, JamesR said:

Gang bangers........

I turned off the highway one exit too early in New Jersey, It was Either East or West Orange where I made the mistake of driving to.

I noticed the windows in shops had grills on the windows, the take away Chinese restaurants did not have open counters to serve the customers, they had a cage where they would open a flap and pass food to the customers.

I then noticed I was the only while person in the area, the black guys would glare at me as drove past them on the street.

At one crossroads junction with traffic lights I had to stop, opposite there was a gang of black people and they were wearing one leg of their trousers rolled up and all wore the same headgear.

They were all staring at me and talking to each other in an annoyed way.

I thought sod this, so I did a U-Turn through the red light and went back the way I had just come.

A week later in a bar I was talking to a policeman and he saids. "You should never, never make that mistake again, that place is off limits to us".

Yeah totally know what you mean. I did the mistake of doing that in Los Angeles as innocently turning down the wrong street. I was working a contract down there so was on travel. This one time I stupidly happened to be wearing a red bandana (which I was not thinking about) as it was a hot day and I was just keeping the hair and sweat out of my eyes. You probably guessed, it was a blue area and I could see them see me driving in my truck and then you could see half a dozen of them scramble and start running after to cut me and my truck off. Luckily I quickly understood the reason for the problem, they were all wearing blue bandanas and an obvious gang street. So I quickly pulled the bandana off and sped out of the neighborhood. Funny thing is the next street over was ok. Live and learn. So this is another PRO for living in Thailand and CM. that doesn't happen here.

[HolyCowCm]

4 hours ago, JamesR said:

It was 1995 and I had a great time in New Jersey.

One of the gang said he was 'connected' as in the Maffia but was laying low for a while, I didn't know if he was making it all up but I do know we were always at the front of the queue getting into some clubs and never had to pay an entrance fee. 

Sounds like a fun time.

[oldcpu]

On 8/10/2021 at 2:31 AM, JamesR said:

 

I always wonder what happens to old farangs when they have stayed in Thailand for years and then get past 75 or even 80, surely they can not get medical insurance at that age and have to leave for free medical care back in their own country at some point. 

If one properly selects their health insurance, they will pick a company that provides coverage until death, even if one is in their 90s.  In my case my insurance comes with my pension as a perk - and covers me regardless of my age.

I know others with no health insurance who in essence self insure themselves via their savings. Due to massive medical expenses in their home countries ( which don't have medicare) they can't afford to do such in their home countries.

 

On 8/10/2021 at 2:31 AM, JamesR said:

I know of such a person last year he was 80, he could not afford to pay for private treatment in Thailand and could not get insurance cover at that age,  he became ill, returned to the UK, went to hospital and died shortly afterwards as he had left it too late to get treatment in Thailand.

Yes and I had a destitute friend, came to live in Thailand as his pension too small for a decent living in his home country. He was in his late 60s with major preconditions and no health insurance. Eventually he was hospitalized in Thailand and ran up the equivalent of a $15,000 US medical bill before he passed away.  Prior to leaving his home country he was told his medical condition couldn't be treated and death inevitable.  The Thai hospital was stuck with the bill. ... Although had it been his home country the bill likely would have been 3x or 4x more.

Fortunately for the Thai hospital, his relatives back in his home country pitched in together and paid off his Thai hospital bill.

[HappyExpat]

4 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

I always wonder what happens to old farangs when they have stayed in Thailand for years and then get past 75 or even 80, surely they can not get medical insurance at that age and have to leave for free medical care back in their own country at some point. 

That's actually my long term plan. I own a house outright in the states, and my pension + Social Security will afford me a comfortable life. Health care isn't cheap, but by the time I get there, enough people will have gotten fed up with the healthcare system and adjustments will have been made. The only downside - it's Washington State. Ewww.

[HolyCowCm]

32 minutes ago, HappyExpat said:

That's actually my long term plan. I own a house outright in the states, and my pension + Social Security will afford me a comfortable life. Health care isn't cheap, but by the time I get there, enough people will have gotten fed up with the healthcare system and adjustments will have been made. The only downside - it's Washington State. Ewww.

Washington has its Pros and Cons. Cold but beautiful if you are in the right place there.

[PapayaBokBok]

On 8/9/2021 at 5:58 PM, JamesR said:

Massaman curry moo, my favourite street food is Moo Dang Noodle(s) yai.

e 

Ba mee Moo dang--het(dry_ with broth on side and a few shrimp(goong) dumplings

Egg noodle with red pork and dumplings--and add side broth to warm em up a bit

Favs being pork red curry with fried egg  Pad Prik Gaeng Moo-Kai dow and Moo Nam tok-spicy pork salad

[JamesE]

18 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Cold but beautiful if you are in the right place there.

Clearly you haven't been paying attention to the weather... I'm sitting here dying and this is the coolest of the 3 hot days. And the first.

[PapayaBokBok]

3 minutes ago, JamesE said:

Clearly you haven't been paying attention to the weather... I'm sitting here dying and this is the coolest of the 3 hot days. And the first.

My thai friends I chat with on Line app are complaining about how hot it is in CM.....

[JamesE]

37 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

My thai friends I chat with on Line app are complaining about how hot it is in CM.....

Yeah, I only b!tch about the heat when I'm in the US. It's like 28 right now and when the "heat" moves in it might make it all the way up to 32. For maybe 5 hours, then it starts cooling down. We've got all four seasons here but spring and fall are each five months long and summer and winter fight it out over who gets the other 30 days. Quite pleasant.

[JamesR]

2 hours ago, PapayaBokBok said:

Ba mee Moo dang--het(dry_ with broth on side and a few shrimp(goong) dumplings

Egg noodle with red pork and dumplings--and add side broth to warm em up a bit

Favs being pork red curry with fried egg  Pad Prik Gaeng Moo-Kai dow and Moo Nam tok-spicy pork salad

I will have two dishes of each please.......

Where do I order.............

[JamesR]

2 hours ago, JamesE said:

Yeah, I only b!tch about the heat when I'm in the US. It's like 28 right now and when the "heat" moves in it might make it all the way up to 32. For maybe 5 hours, then it starts cooling down. We've got all four seasons here but spring and fall are each five months long and summer and winter fight it out over who gets the other 30 days. Quite pleasant.

I worked in New Jersey in 1995 for year.

The summer was one of the hottest on record and the winter the coldest and had a lot more snow than average.

So I had my arse sunburned in summer and frozen off in winter.

I was stuck in the condo for five days due to the snow and stuck on a highway another time as the snow plough trucks has sealed off all the exits.

I did a road trip to Toronto going past Niagara Falls in February 1996 and saw one petrol station temperature display was -27C plus there was a strong breeze, the lakes were frozen and so in comparison it had not been too cold in New Jersey. 

[HolyCowCm]

5 hours ago, JamesE said:

Clearly you haven't been paying attention to the weather... I'm sitting here dying and this is the coolest of the 3 hot days. And the first.

I was replying to HappyExpat's comment as he said he has a home bought and paid for in Washington, and then he stated with  yuck. Generally Washington for the majority is cold. I used to travel up there at different times.

Oh yeah I have been watching the temps up in your neck of the woods and also Oregon to upper Califonia area. My brother has a horse ranch in lower Oregon and in Ca I have business I do. Never can remember ever seeing a time like this for Oregon and especially Washington hitting high triple digits for so long. Freak for sure. Stay cool, and if drink keep well stocked up.

Cheers. 

[oldcpu]

2 hours ago, JamesR said:

The summer was one of the hottest on record and the winter the coldest and had a lot more snow than average.

So I had my arse sunburned in summer and frozen off in winter.

Reminds me of Regina Saskatchewan Canada where I spent more than 15 years. Temperatures can reach +40-deg C in the summer, and I've been there in Regina in the winter many times when it dipped to -70-deg C (w/windchill) in the winter.  That +110-deg C variation between summer and winter seasons is challenging - which is one of the reasons I prefer Thailand for minimal relative temperature variation, even thou the constant +27-deg C to +33-deg C variation is hot (and humid here in the south by the coast). .... On occasion I do miss the Canadian tree's leaves changing colour and I do miss the snow at times. 

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by oldcpu

[HolyCowCm]

5 hours ago, PapayaBokBok said:

My thai friends I chat with on Line app are complaining about how hot it is in CM.....

Huh? Not the truth. Been ok, some days warm - warmer, somedays mediocre. They might be in an area that gets rained on more, so if that is the case then for sure the rain after stops makes things a bit ugly steamy hot like. For me where I am the rain seems to curve another way towards or going the mountain way of Doi Suthep and then will push out a bit on the north side of the city.

[HolyCowCm]

10 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Reminds me of Regina Saskatchewan Canada where I spent more than 15 years. Temperatures can reach +40-deg C in the summer, and I've been there in Regina in the winter many times when it dipped to -70-deg C (w/windchill) in the winter.  That +110-deg C variation between summer and winter seasons is challenging - which is one of the reasons I prefer Thailand for minimal relative temperature variation, even thou the constant +27-deg C to +33-deg C variation is hot (and humid here in the south by the coast). .... On occasion I do miss the Canadian tree's leaves changing colour and I do miss the snow at times. 

I can take the heat and even extreme heat, but not the extreme cold, especially with a wind. No thanks. anything else in-between with cold is then ok, but only for a short short time for me.. 

[PapayaBokBok]

20 hours ago, JamesR said:

I will have two dishes of each please.......

Where do I order.............

7-11  hurry before they close!

[PapayaBokBok]

20 hours ago, JamesR said:

I worked in New Jersey in 1995 for year.

The summer was one of the hottest on record and the winter the coldest and had a lot more snow than average.

So I had my arse sunburned in summer and frozen off in winter.

I was stuck in the condo for five days due to the snow and stuck on a highway another time as the snow plough trucks has sealed off all the exits.

I did a road trip to Toronto going past Niagara Falls in February 1996 and saw one petrol station temperature display was -27C plus there was a strong breeze, the lakes were frozen and so in comparison it had not been too cold in New Jersey. 

Confirmed....I live a hour away from NJ

[PapayaBokBok]

17 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Huh? Not the truth. Been ok, some days warm - warmer, somedays mediocre. They might be in an area that gets rained on more, so if that is the case then for sure the rain after stops makes things a bit ugly steamy hot like. For me where I am the rain seems to curve another way towards or going the mountain way of Doi Suthep and then will push out a bit on the north side of the city.

They both work outdoors so maybe is why.....or just feel like complaining to me..

[PapayaBokBok]

22 hours ago, JamesE said:

Yeah, I only b!tch about the heat when I'm in the US. It's like 28 right now and when the "heat" moves in it might make it all the way up to 32. For maybe 5 hours, then it starts cooling down. We've got all four seasons here but spring and fall are each five months long and summer and winter fight it out over who gets the other 30 days. Quite pleasant.

Howdy neighbor! A hot one today!

[JamesE]

10 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

Howdy neighbor! A hot one today!

Jesus! Plus the smoke. Plus the neighbor has decided that the hottest summer since the Devonian is the perfect time to start building her new house so the dust is blowing in drifts across the landscape. I'm across the big water in Kitsap so it's not killer hot. Nothing like it was a few weeks back.

[JamesR]

58 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

Confirmed....I live a hour away from NJ

 

56 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

Howdy neighbor! A hot one today!

 

58 minutes ago, PapayaBokBok said:

Confirmed....I live a hour away from NJ

I live around six hours away from NJ at the moment by air (near London), and once Phuket is really, I mean really really open I will then be 18 hrs away. 

NJ gets a really bad wrap from some people, but if you go south a little there are some really nice villages, with large wooden framed family houses from 100 or more years ago, leafy streets etc.

But even close to NY there are some nice places in NJ, Morris Town for example. 

My favourite beer in the area was Samual Adams, I do not know where it is from but I like the beer. 

Edited August 12, 2021 by JamesR
typo

[JamesE]

1 hour ago, JamesR said:

My favourite beer in the area was Samual Adams, I do not know where it is from but I like the beer. 

Boston...