# Why Thailand



## Guest

Is there any other reason to move to Thailand except to be with Thai Women. A lot of guys complain about the complexity of the relationships, but they all still only seem to be there for the one reason.
What other reasons are there?


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## Guest

For me plenty of reasons. I like the smiles, the warmth, the prices, the massages. Not necessarily in that order. Ok for every pro there are cons, but you only asked about the pros


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## chuck71055

The weather of course, But I still think that the overall personality of the people in general and their outlook on life, is what I mostly enjoy about Thailand, and yes of course the Thai spouses,


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## Guest

chuck71055 said:


> The weather of course, But I still think that the overall personality of the people in general and their outlook on life, is what I mostly enjoy about Thailand, and yes of course the Thai spouses,


I think this is true about the place, the girls (my girl / wife) are wonderful and maybe they eclipse the other nice things about Thailand. I love the way people care for each other and enjoy helping out. I travel to various countries and none compare to the warmth of Thailand. Even the gentle occasional chaos seems harmless and amusing compared to the harshness of the West.


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## Acid_Crow

I'm only in it for the women!  Nah, not really..


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## CRSD

Why Thailand? Why not?....Seriously though, for most of the reasons above. Meeting and marrying my Thai wife was just an additional perk. Another reason is it's sooo cheap to live here. On my retirement pension I have a much higher standard of living here than back in the US.


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## Guest

CRSD said:


> Why Thailand? Why not?....Seriously though, for most of the reasons above. Meeting and marrying my Thai wife was just an additional perk. Another reason is it's sooo cheap to live here. On my retirement pension I have a much higher standard of living here than back in the US.


Thanks guys for your observations. It seems that the girls or alt least hooking up with one of them, are at the top of the list, but followed very closely by wonderful people and a gentle country.


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## Acid_Crow

Honestly, if there were no women in Thailand at all, or maybe just very old ones, I would still want to live there. I am about to marry a thai woman, but that's just a result of me living there, hoping to meet someone like her was never my reason to move there.


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## Winkie

I came here 17 years ago, met and married my Indonesian Wife, and we are still here. So many reasons to live here. So many reasons not to live somewhere else. Very dfficult to answer, and the above only touches on a few of mine and everyone's reasons.


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## Guest

homeless_vagabond said:


> My primary reason for definitely choosing Thailand has to do with my education: Next seminar is here, here is where I come.
> 
> My secondary reason is 'fun'. The massages are definitely tempting, but not in the erotic sense. I tend to train too hard, with obvious consequences. If the women are as hot as you all imply, then they are welcome to have a shot at melting this heart of stone. Seems I heard that song by Quarterflash at exactly the wrong time and here I are.
> 
> Thirdly, since I'm flying all the way there, I'm going to have to conserve my pennies. I hear Thailand is cheaper than Manhattan. I can't afford Manhattan, NYC, so I'm really going 'all in' on this one.
> 
> I'm just worried that good coffee is expensive.
> 
> And no, I'm not a total newbie; I've been a full-time expat for 5 years now and spent many years overseas before that.
> 
> Thanks for welcoming me to the board.


Coffee is cheap so not to worry - unless you go to Starbucks.
I just got back to Thailand after a 6 month contract in Europe, where it is cold, unfriendly, regulated to death, crazy expensive like $10 for a beer in Norway, women act like men and are agressive, and only the television for distraction. When I got back I realized that Thailand still has all the human elements that the rest of the world seems to have mostly lost.


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## Guest

homeless_vagabond said:


> What is an appropriate budget for a thesis-writing idiot who wants to dine on the local cuisine, live in a western-style studio with internet and go to a decent gym for relaxation? Throw in the odd beer here and there and a few massages... a thousand USD? 800 EUR? More? Maybe on the outskirts of Pattaya or Phuket?


That's very tight. I couldn't do it for sure. Studio plus internet, I reckon 5000 bt or so if you are very lucky. A month's internet subscription to a service that has reasonable access speed to sites outside the Kingdom will be around 1000 bt. If you only ever eat Thai food - including for breakfast which is not to every Westerner's taste - and the cheapest variety at that from the food stalls, you'll be lucky to get away with less than 6000 baht a month. So far so good, the equivalent of 240 euros. 

If you've got cheaper accommodation because it's out of the way, unless you're a fanatical walker in high humidity and temps, you'll be taking the odd baht bus or motorcycle taxi. Very cheap, but it adds up. Allow 20 euros for the month (I spent an average 4 euros a day in Chiang Mai on tuktuks).

A few massages (the traditional kind) ... well depends on what you mean by a few, Thai massage is fantastic value, but standards value hugely. The spas are expensive but not always with the most skilled masseuses... The best in Chiang Mai I found - and I had an average 4-5 massages a week over the years I was there - was at this place...



It doesn't mention it on the price list, but 2 hours' Thai is 280 baht. With the occasional oil, hot stone and street foot massage thrown in, I reckon I spent about 150 - 200 euros a month on this particular perk.

Drugs - the legal kind - are pretty cheap. Still, you have to factor in something in case you get ill, over the course of a year. Dentists are cheap too.

Beer - again, everyone's notion of what represents a 'few' beers differs! And it kind of depends on how many drinks you end up buying for 'other' people .

A gym... again prices vary a lot. They're not that cheap. Especially if you only pay a month at a time. Good discounts for buying a year in advance though. It was around 80 euros a month for a short term plan (3 months) at the Powerhouse - admittedly not one of the cheapest in Chiang Mai.

So sure, it's do-able... if you live like a hermit for part of the month!


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## Dumbo

I am very, very happy and content in Thailand.


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## Winkie

That's nice to know Dumbo


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## Thai Bigfoot

*Coffee*

Hey, there are plent of good coffee places here, including Starbucks. Starbucks prices are pretty much the same as in the states, but, remember the pay is only 10-20% of what it is in the States, for the most part.

So, I guess that makes Starbucks 5-10 times relatively more expensive. 

If you buy anything that isn't Thai, it's pricey.

So get used to Thai food and women, and, you'll do great!


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## Guest

HV - from what you're saying I would choose a less pricey town, such as Chiang Mai. Accommodation and eating out are cheaper on the whole. It is also a cultural destination, and a genuine Thai community. Yes it has its share of expats and tourists, but they tend to concentrate in certain areas, and are easily avoided. As for the bar girl scene, it is a matter of choice. Yes there is a smallish one in Chiang Mai, but again, unless you deliberately hang around this part of town, you will find yourself almost exclusively in the company of Thais.

I was living in a Thai area until very recently. Thai neighbours, not a farang in sight for miles. Not particularly exclusive - you have to get used to the all hours idiosyncrasies of the ordinary Thais doing a variety of jobs - but I loved it. And cheap - we were renting a modern 3 bedroomed house for 10,000 baht a month, within walking distance of the town centre. Further out of town (but then you've got the transport problem) the same property can be had for half that.

It is easy enough, for a bona fide young(ish) visitor, who doesn't look like the hunchback of Notre Dame, with prospects, to meet a girl who is not involved in the bar scene. Before meeting the girl I eventually married I was hotly pursued by my Thai tutoress, as well as a tourist guide, and that was within a week of arriving for the first time. The second was an absolute stunner, the first very attractive indeed for 40-something. And bear in mind that although I don't quite resemble the aforementioned hunchback, with the best will in the world I certainly couldn't classify myself in the 'young' category .

_A tourist guide to remember..._



Join a Thai language course and get involved in one of the clubs (running, cycling, whatever dongs your bell) and you will soon meet plenty of lovely Thai women that have nothing to do with the bar scene). Check out the universities too - doing your thesis should give you access to certain resources. 

(Point of order - not sure where you get the idea that the bar girl scene is as expensive as in the West. It currently costs around 30 euros for a couple of hours, 40 euros all night. That is recent info as I acted as guide for a very energetic French friend who was staying with me late summer).


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## Serendipity2

frogblogger said:


> For me plenty of reasons. I like the smiles, the warmth, the prices, the massages. Not necessarily in that order. Ok for every pro there are cons, but you only asked about the pros



frogbloggers hierarchy of reasons for loving Thailand..... (my opinion only!) 

A MASSAGE
MASSAGES
More MASSAGES
Yet more MASSAGES
LOTS and LOTS more MASSAGES
MASSAGES with smiles
MASSAGES with warmth [and soft hands]
MASSAGES that are cheap [compared to France, England, America
and MASSAGES that make him feel really, Really, REALLY good 


I think frogblogger's reasons are pretty much the same as mine but I would add 'the food' to that list. Man does not live by sex, er massages alone. 

Serendipitiously...


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## Thai Bigfoot

*Just come with a great attitude and a cash reserve.*

U.S. pros, U.S.$200-300 ++++ per hour and, they usually let you know they're doing you a favor.

Bar Girls U.S.$30-60 plus $10-16 bar fine for all night, and, they are enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity. 

There is only a little stigma applied to a "Bar Girl". Check in to the why's if you like. It's interesting. Plus, the Thais don't have all the sexual guilt and hangups that the Western World does.

I've been married and divorced 4 times in the states. I don't want a girlfriend. But, there are thousands here that would like to be. Just like women everywhere, boyfriends and husbands are a path to financial security.

In Phuket, it is what you make of it.

I've been here all of six weeks. I've made learning conversational Thai a near term goal. When the Thais hear me make an effort, right or wrong, they are so kind and forgiving, and willing to help. They are impressed that I have tried.

And, heck, there will be NO women if you become a monk!


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## Guest

homeless_vagabond said:


> What is an appropriate budget for a thesis-writing idiot who wants to dine on the local cuisine, live in a western-style studio with internet and go to a decent gym for relaxation? Throw in the odd beer here and there and a few massages... a thousand USD? 800 EUR? More? Maybe on the outskirts of Pattaya or Phuket?


If you want cheap and want to write with less distractions you might consider Khon Kean. My wife and I have our home near there and we can live on $2 a day if we avoid imported beer and diet coke. I can buy 3 large bottles of Chang for about $4 and a bottle of diet coke is about $1 so that puts up the cost of living somewhat. This is without rent, but we built the house for about $12k. Every Thai girl seems to know how to massage. Also no one ever told them sex was a sin, in fact to them it seems part of everyday life to be enjoyed. If they can get a customer to pay them for it - so much the better. It is just so different here. You might even find Thailand is so different that it messes with your head and confuses your theisis.


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## Guest

Serendipity2 said:


> frogbloggers hierarchy of reasons for loving Thailand..... (my opinion only!)
> 
> A MASSAGE
> MASSAGES
> More MASSAGES
> Yet more MASSAGES
> LOTS and LOTS more MASSAGES
> MASSAGES with smiles
> MASSAGES with warmth [and soft hands]
> MASSAGES that are cheap [compared to France, England, America
> and MASSAGES that make him feel really, Really, REALLY good
> 
> I think frogblogger's reasons are pretty much the same as mine but I would add 'the food' to that list. Man does not live by sex, er massages alone.
> 
> Serendipitiously...


Yes, that about sums me up!  

But I do like the real traditional massage, when you can find a really expert and sensitive masseuse - can't emphasise enough how much good a two hour session can do, especially in the knowledge that it is only costing just over 3 USD an hour. As for the extra services S2 alludes to, I'm a married man! But the previously mentioned energetic French friend for whom I recently acted as a guide tells me that there is a certain 'Cha Cha' at a place in Loi Kroh Chiang Mai, who lives up to her name... _slowly, slowly..._


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## Serendipity2

frogblogger said:


> Yes, that about sums me up!
> 
> But I do like the real traditional massage, when you can find a really expert and sensitive masseuse - can't emphasise enough how much good a two hour session can do, especially in the knowledge that it is only costing just over 3 USD an hour. As for the extra services S2 alludes to, I'm a married man! But the previously mentioned energetic French friend for whom I recently acted as a guide tells me that there is a certain 'Cha Cha' at a place in Loi Kroh Chiang Mai, who lives up to her name... _slowly, slowly..._



God bless Thai masseuses. Every one! And the fact they aren't hung up on our western bull about sex being a sin. 

Leave it to "western cultures" [religion] to make EVERYTHING pleasurable a sin. I think that has a lot to do with women being fearful of any competition from other females. Especially young and attractive females. 

If we're REALLY lucky, once in a while you get sex from your wife - IF you've been good, if they are in the mood and if the stars in the heavens line up just right. OR we can hop a plane to almost anywhere in Asia where sex is NOT a sin but a pleasure, enjoyed by men AND women and leave behind that frau you were saddled with that does little but sit on her backside, getting fatter and complaining. I know it's a difficult choice for us - pleasure vs pain - but that's the long and the short of it. :/ 

Serendipity2


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## Serendipity2

JMalefyt said:


> Hey, there are plent of good coffee places here, including Starbucks. Starbucks prices are pretty much the same as in the states, but, remember the pay is only 10-20% of what it is in the States, for the most part.
> 
> So, I guess that makes Starbucks 5-10 times relatively more expensive.
> 
> If you buy anything that isn't Thai, it's pricey.
> 
> So get used to Thai food and women, and, you'll do great!



JMalefyt,

I don't drink coffee anymore [haven't for over two years] but if you DO drink coffee you can save a lot of money drinking anything BUT Starbucks. It's the most overpriced coffee and I frankly never cared for it. 

That said, tea [black, oolong or green] is MUCH healthier for you and, if you're really trying to economize, but tea by the box [usually at least 20 bags per box] for about $2 here in the states, and probably in Thailand too since tea actually comes from that area of the world, and many cafes will give you free hot water or for next to nothing. It's a small hassle bringing a cup but not that inconvenient. I pay, per month, about $3 for tea splitting my time between three hydrogen hydroxide providers - including McDonalds.  [I usually do throw some small change into the box for the Ronald McDonald House which is a good charity and I'm happy to lend a hand.  

Serendipity2


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## Serendipity2

homeless_vagabond said:


> My primary concern at this point is the visa. While I have adequate funds to maintain myself, I would prefer not to spend 5 days a month hopping back and forth and lugging all of my belongings in the event Immigration does not honour my request to re-enter.
> 
> I have had such an experience in Eastern Europe and while I realize Thailand is in Asia, Human Nature is what it is and people in power have a history of abusing authority when they have little else.
> 
> I will be attending a week-long seminar sponsored by a _farang_ and, thus, not under the auspices of a Thai educational institution.
> 
> I have written to some institutions without response. I am relatively flexible.
> 
> The 'job' aspect of my request orbits around the residency permit- I can pitch timeshares, teach in schools, whatever. I am very weary of living out of a suitcase and 90 days 'unpacked' is a luxury.
> 
> I'm gravitating towards tourist areas as the requirement to learn Thai is not so important (I already speak 5+ languages. I'm supposed to be studying policy, not linguistics) and there are more opportunities to work without needing a Teaching License (a subject of confusion in the EFL teaching community since 2008) for Thailand.
> 
> I regret not maintaining contact with the young Thai naval cadet with whom I unloaded one of HM ships loaded with rice bound for the Somali people in 1993. Of course, he couldn't have known about what was to happen in the weeks after his departure which affected my decision not to write.
> 
> While I enjoy my breakfasts of papaya/pineapple/banana smoothies, I would prefer to do so in a friendlier society and not one which sought first to suck the lifeblood out of you before you do anything else.
> 
> As an example: " A simple Swedish massage can run upwards of $60 USD/hour here. All _farangs_ are tourists, didn't you know? If not, we will run them out of our country because it is too expensive to stay here..." And so it is.
> 
> I will be in Bangkok in February. I will treat for dinner if it works out to meet.
> 
> Please PM if interested.



homeless_vagabond,

Why push the river. There may be an easy [although not perfect] solution. Thailand IS becoming difficult to live unless you're an old geezer and then it's no walk in the park as we have to put THB 800,000 in a Thai bank for as long as we choose to live there. For younger people - unless you're a student [another strategy you might consider] or have a job with a company doing business in Thailand that can assist you then the next best alternative is....

Get a three month visa for Thailand. When it's ready to expire, move to Malaysia for three months [no problems with visa] and while there get a new three month visa. It's pretty easy commuting between the two and, while not perfect, will give you a fall back position until you can pin something down in Thailand that will give you a bit more permanency. Suffice to say it IS a bit of a hassle but frankly Thailand isn't the welcoming country it once was. Anyway, good luck to you!

Serendipity2


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## Serendipity2

homeless_vagabond said:


> Thank you. In Panama, the requirement is 10 times as great, along with other qualifications. Oh, and you are prohibited from doing anything which might resemble 'work', whatever that is on any day ending in 'Y'...



homeless_vagabond,

The really GOOD news about Panama's friendly work policy is that you have plenty of "down time" to enjoy the good life. [IF you can afford the good life] With a bit of creativity you can build Thai relationships over time [won't happen in a week or three] which will help you attain your goal. In the mean time live up to your nom de plume and be that homeless vagabond. So many women so little time! I see you're in or have spent time in Mexico. Thailand will be a fair bit cheaper, generally speaking, and the women are FAR prettier and a LOT more friendly. 

Serendipity2


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## enjoybeing

*how did you stay such a long term*



Winkie said:


> I came here 17 years ago, met and married my Indonesian Wife, and we are still here. So many reasons to live here. So many reasons not to live somewhere else. Very dfficult to answer, and the above only touches on a few of mine and everyone's reasons.


Just wondering.... How did you stay there for 17 years without leaving?? Thanks, I wondered because I would like to do that =o)


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