Is it still awesome to live in Thiland?

[chaze]

Looking to check out another country, I have always heard great things about Thialand. I love the food, beaches, and our dollar there.

But since the floods I haven't heard much.

Any insight or opinions on it hombres?

[nikki99]

mi inglés no es mucho bueno, muchos gracias

[jscott]

What about loving the dollar in Thailand? it's lost about 25% value in the past 5-6 years

[faxxaff]

What's good in Thailand:

- fresh and healthy food
- cheap clothing
- affordable living
- good massages

What's bad:

- expensive hookers with poor performance

[geedub]

Costa Rica is going to be tame compared to Thailand

[faxxaff]

Originally Posted by geedub

Costa Rica is going to be tame compared to Thailand

Depends on where you go. Blue Marlin in San Jose can be wild with Colombianitas, Dominicanas and Russian Girls. At least you know, they are real genetic girls.

[DWB]

For me it's a nice place to live. But like everywhere in the world, it has its pros and cons.

I find the visa issue the only real hassle. It's easy to stay long term but you have to check in every 90 days on most visas and spend the day an immigration. Not a big deal but it's something I don't like doing.

[SlutsBukkake]

Im from Aus, so access to South East Asia is easy for us. Still prefer South America though as they take amuch more lenient approach to drug use. Get caught in SE Asia and you're pretty well fucked

[DWB]

Originally Posted by SlutsBukkake

Im from Aus, so access to South East Asia is easy for us. Still prefer South America though as they take amuch more lenient approach to drug use. Get caught in SE Asia and you're pretty well fucked

Oh yea, if you like drugs you are taking a HUGE risk in Thailand. In places like Pattaya they even do bar raids (lock the doors and piss test people) and 3am road stops where they do random piss testing. Even if you smoked weed in YOUR country a week before, if you piss poz, you are in expensive trouble. And if you are caught with enough that they consider you are selling it, you will spend the rest of your life in prison or executed.

Cambodia is really the only place that has a somewhat relaxed drug policy in SE Asia. You used to be able to buy large bags of weed (1lb) at the local markets! That said, you can get a lb of weed from Laos for $10 - $20 but you don't want to get caught with it, even though so many of the locals grow it. I think it's not illegal for them to grow, but it's illegal for YOU to smoke. Something like that.

[CurrentlySober]

i cant afford to be awesome...

[ruff]

Originally Posted by CurrentlySober

i cant afford to be awesome...

You need to do like I do, go for McAwesome. It's cheaper and faster.

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by faxxaff

What's good in Thailand:

- fresh and healthy food
- cheap clothing
- affordable living
- good massages

What's bad:

- expensive hookers with poor performance

Really you buy your clothes in Thailand? That's one reason I always loved the UK over Thailand, since the quality is a lot better.

[stonehammer]

what about considering thailand as a proper place to live....

food
healthcare
traffic
safety
entertainment
shopping
people
culture

[EddyTheDog]

What income woud you need to have a nice relaxed lifestyle - Nothing flash, just a clean place to live and go out when you want?

[geedub]

Originally Posted by faxxaff

Depends on where you go. Blue Marlin in San Jose can be wild with Colombianitas, Dominicanas and Russian Girls. At least you know, they are real genetic girls.

Not comparable....

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by EddyTheDog

What income woud you need to have a nice relaxed lifestyle - Nothing flash, just a clean place to live and go out when you want?

About $20k.

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by stonehammer

what about considering thailand as a proper place to live....

food
healthcare
traffic
safety
entertainment
shopping
people
culture

Thailand is bad for traffic, food is expensive if you don't like Thai/Chinese, safety is appalling and the shopping is shit.

It's good for the rest though.

[MaDalton]

Originally Posted by mafia_man

Thailand is bad for traffic, food is expensive if you don't like Thai/Chinese, safety is appalling and the shopping is shit.

It's good for the rest though.

didnt feel unsafe at any point - only when riding on the back of a scooter with some chick driving

[Slappin Fish]

Originally Posted by MaDalton

didnt feel unsafe at any point - only when riding on the back of a scooter with some chick driving

Safety isn't about muggings

. it's about the electric water heater in the shower having an earth wire, or even the swimming pool lights (deaths last year in Phuket believe it not), it's about Somchai getting behing the wheel of his Hilux pick up after finishing his third bottle of Johnny walker,...

[MaDalton]

Originally Posted by Slappin Fish

Safety isn't about muggings

. it's about the electric water heater in the shower having an earth wire, or even the swimming pool lights (deaths last year in Phuket believe it not), it's about Somchai getting behing the wheel of his Hilux pick up after finishing his third bottle of Johnny walker,...

yeah, well, you might have a point there

[GoldBarsXXX]

I have been here for 5 years now. For me there is only Asia.

[DWB]

Originally Posted by EddyTheDog

What income would you need to have a nice relaxed lifestyle - Nothing flash, just a clean place to live and go out when you want?

If you can make $2000 a month, you can live fine in Thailand.

More if you drink a lot, eat western food every day, and fuck whores every night.

You can get a clean studio room for $250 - $500.
You may have to pay utilities, $30 - $100.

The rest is eating and having fun money.

Originally Posted by mafia_man

Thailand is bad for traffic, food is expensive if you don't like Thai/Chinese, safety is appalling and the shopping is shit.

It's good for the rest though.

I find shopping shitty for the most part too unless you're looking for handmade items for your house.

Originally Posted by Slappin Fish

Safety isn't about muggings

. it's about the electric water heater in the shower having an earth wire, or even the swimming pool lights (deaths last year in Phuket believe it not), it's about Somchai getting behing the wheel of his Hilux pick up after finishing his third bottle of Johnny walker,...

Spot on.

You forgot to mention that Somchai is a high ranking police officer who drives drunk often and is a hired killer on the side and a drug dealer. Then when he has an accident because he is shit faced and kills people on the road, it's covered up.

Thailand is incredibly unsafe. Most people don't notice it though until they have been here a while. Tourists always have the "Thailand was amazing, the people are so great and everything was wonderful" view. I did too for a few years. But that wears off once the honeymoon is over and you get a chance to see things as they really are here.

All that said, I'd still rather live here than where I was born. It's the freedom that is hard to walk away from. As dangerous as it may be, you can just about do anything you want. I like that.

[geedub]

Originally Posted by Slappin Fish

Safety isn't about muggings

. it's about the electric water heater in the shower having an earth wire, or even the swimming pool lights (deaths last year in Phuket believe it not), it's about Somchai getting behing the wheel of his Hilux pick up after finishing his third bottle of Johnny walker,...

Gotta love the suicide showers. I had one explode on me once and then the plastic started on fire. I leaped through the shower curtain all naked to make a safe escape.. Only cool part about those things is they never run out of hot.

[DWB]

Originally Posted by geedub

Gotta love the suicide showers. I had one explode on me once and then the plastic started on fire. I leaped through the shower curtain all naked to make a safe escape.. Only cool part about those things is they never run out of hot.

You are sooooooo lucky.

[alextokyo]

Originally Posted by DWB

Cambodia is really the only place that has a somewhat relaxed drug policy in SE Asia. You used to be able to buy large bags of weed (1lb) at the local markets!

Yep. Anyone who likes drugs needs to try Cambodia. OK, it's dirty and fucking stinks, but you'll have no problems finding both prescription stuff (such as Xanax) and illicit stuff (such as weed or heroin). U-Care is awesome, just ask and walk out 2 minutes later with a bag full of pills. They didn't have some things I wanted, and they had to have a guy bring some stuff from outside (wait 10 minutes), but all-in-all they are excellent. Last time I binged on prescription drugs & cheap vodka then couldn't get a boner for the whole week. Completely fucking limp no matter what I tried. Waste of a holiday.

You're also right about no more weed in the markets, that stopped a long long time ago. The easiest place to find weed is in the happy pizza shops, but it's shit. You might as well smoke dried banana skins.

Cambodia changes fucking fast. Anything written before mid-2011 is hit and miss by now, and anything before 2010... don't even bother reading it.

Anyway. Three things I've never been able to find in Cambodia: LSD, Ritalin, and Rohypnol.

[Shotsie]

Originally Posted by geedub

Gotta love the suicide showers. I had one explode on me once and then the plastic started on fire. I leaped through the shower curtain all naked to make a safe escape.. Only cool part about those things is they never run out of hot.

What? What do they have those electric water heaters that attach to the shower head?

[scouser]

how would you even get around visa issues with living in somewhere like thailand? thought you could only stay there 30 days (with uk passport anyway)?

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by Slappin Fish

Safety isn't about muggings

. it's about the electric water heater in the shower having an earth wire, or even the swimming pool lights (deaths last year in Phuket believe it not), it's about Somchai getting behing the wheel of his Hilux pick up after finishing his third bottle of Johnny walker,...

You remember on the movie The Beach were the old Thai cleaner is prodding the electric box with a wet mop? Di Caprio warns her she'll get electrocuted if she isn't careful.

Well that sums up Thai attitudes towards health and safety.

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by deadmoon

how would you even get around visa issues with living in somewhere like thailand? thought you could only stay there 30 days (with uk passport anyway)?

There's other visas you can get. Non-O, Non-B, Education visa.

I used to get a Non-O 12 months (90 days per entry) and do a border run before it ran out so I'd get 15 months.

Education visas you don't even need to do the runs. Plus you learn Thai but it costs money.

[sojproductions]

Originally Posted by DWB

Tourists always have the "Thailand was amazing, the people are so great and everything was wonderful" view. I did too for a few years. But that wears off once the honeymoon is over and you get a chance to see things as they really are here.

I hit the end of my honeymoon period about 6 months ago, it's totally true, a few years and things start to grate. Just come back to the UK for a 3 week break and already itching to get back there, I still wouldn't wanna live anywhere else right now, just need a reality check every now and again to appreciate the good things.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by mafia_man

You remember on the movie The Beach were the old Thai cleaner is prodding the electric box with a wet mop? Di Caprio warns her she'll get electrocuted if she isn't careful.

Well that sums up Thai attitudes towards health and safety.

Classic!

Originally Posted by mafia_man

Education visas you don't even need to do the runs. Plus you learn Thai but it costs money.

What sorta cost and is it easy enough to get?

Don't think I'd fancy having to take a day out every 30/90 days to do a visa run

Originally Posted by sojproductions

I hit the end of my honeymoon period about 6 months ago, it's totally true, a few years and things start to grate. Just come back to the UK for a 3 week break and already itching to get back there, I still wouldn't wanna live anywhere else right now, just need a reality check every now and again to appreciate the good things.

Why not hit up neighboring countries like Cambodia/Vietnam or Laos for a change? Or is Asian culture rather similar in the region?

Anyone been to Vietnam? What's that like safety wise Vs Thailand

I watched a TV Show about Ho Chi Minh recently, couldn't believe it was in Vietnam! It was skyscraper city!

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by Paul

Classic!
What sorta cost and is it easy enough to get?

It's easy to get. Costs around 25,000 to 30,000 baht. You still have to report to immigration every 90 days but no border runs to Poipet.

You can't work on any of the visas I've mentioned without a permit.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by mafia_man

It's easy to get. Costs around 25,000 to 30,000 baht. You still have to report to immigration every 90 days but no border runs to Poipet.

Cool, I take it there is an Immigration Bureau in the center of Bangkok somewhere?

What if you where in Phuket or Chiang Mai, do they have a Immigration Bureau too?

Originally Posted by mafia_man

You can't work on any of the visas I've mentioned without a permit.

I guess they would be fine for self employed internet folks like ourselves?

One last question, what's the deal with working on adult related sites in Thailand and other Asian countries in the region like Cambodia/Vietnam/Laos/Burma.

I don't expect an answer for them individually I'm just asking because I think I read a few years ago it was illegal to work on adult sites in Thailand but as long as you used a VPN and didn't reveal your job to anyone it wasn't a problem, just wondering if that's changed.

I know there are a load of webmasters on GFY who are located in Thailand these days

[Deputy Chief Command]

Originally Posted by faxxaff

What's good in Thailand:

- fresh and healthy food

if you are a fan of food poisoning thailand then yeah you will absolutly love thai food,


even their Prime Minister can't seem to be able to find any of this fresh and healthy food

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-11-29/a...tra?_s=PM:ASIA



seriously.?? if you are in Thailand you have to be very very carefull with what you eat...

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by Paul

Cool, I take it there is an Immigration Bureau in the center of Bangkok somewhere?

What if you where in Phuket or Chiang Mai, do they have a Immigration Bureau too?

Yes there are immigration centres all over the country.

Originally Posted by Paul

I guess they would be fine for self employed internet folks like ourselves?

Actually no. They are very anal about it, if you're caught you'll be deported. People have been stopped from karaoke because it's classed as work.

If you don't tell anyone though you'll probably be fine. I'm pretty sure DWB doesn't have a WP.

Originally Posted by Paul

One last question, what's the deal with working on adult related sites in Thailand and other Asian countries in the region like Cambodia/Vietnam/Laos/Burma.

Porn is illegal. Possession and creation. If you get caught doing either you can be imprisoned in every country you mention.

Originally Posted by Paul

I don't expect an answer for them individually I'm just asking because I think I read a few years ago it was illegal to work on adult sites in Thailand but as long as you used a VPN and didn't reveal your job to anyone it wasn't a problem, just wondering if that's changed.

I know there are a load of webmasters on GFY who are located in Thailand these days

The situation hasn't changed. However it's not all doom and gloom.

In 2015 Thailand is going to form a economic union with neighbouring south east asian countries. It's going to be good for content shooters when cheap Cambo whores pour over the border and can't speak Thai to report you to the cops.

[Paul]

Thanks very much for the info Mafia Man, much appreciated!

[DWB]

Originally Posted by alextokyo

Three things I've never been able to find in Cambodia: LSD, Ritalin, and Rohypnol.

I've found Rohypnol there a few times. No problem at all. I used to take it for helping me sleep but the nightmares were too much. I didn't know for a long time that Rohypnol caused nightmares, but when I found out I stopped and the nightmares stopped too.

Now I use Stilnox, a generic version of Ambien. Can only get that in the hospitals here, but you can get it in Indonesia, Hong Kong or China at most pharmacies. Only $1 a pill in Indonesia, which is a total score. You usually only need 1/2 a pill to put you down.

Originally Posted by mafia_man

You remember on the movie The Beach were the old Thai cleaner is prodding the electric box with a wet mop? Di Caprio warns her she'll get electrocuted if she isn't careful.

Well that sums up Thai attitudes towards health and safety.

Spot on. That opening scene NAILS it perfectly. There is no regard for life or limb.

[AAB]

Super high homicide rates with more foreigners killed than in the rest of the world combined. Absolutely ridiculous corruption and inherent xenophobia. Drive on the left like fucking retards. Don't use Latin letters which makes it nigh impossible to translate shit with a dictionary. HIV rates through the roof. King never smiles and neither do the people.

If you want to know the truth, go to BestGore.com and search for Thailand. That will show you the real face of that shithole.

[martinsc]

i'm thinking about going there for a vacation with the wife...

[mafia_man]

Originally Posted by AAB

Super high homicide rates with more foreigners killed than in the rest of the world combined. Absolutely ridiculous corruption and inherent xenophobia. Drive on the left like fucking retards. Don't use Latin letters which makes it nigh impossible to translate shit with a dictionary. HIV rates through the roof. King never smiles and neither do the people.

If you want to know the truth, go to BestGore.com and search for Thailand. That will show you the real face of that shithole.

Highest HIV rate in Asia

[{Psycho}]

Look at Singapore / Malaysia they are better than Thailand ( well thai is well cheaper that both of them )

[DWB]

Originally Posted by {Psycho}

Look at Singapore / Malaysia they are better than Thailand ( well thai is well cheaper that both of them )

Foreigners can legally own land in Malaysia with no problems and without all the rope-a-dope bullshit.

[adendreams]

Originally Posted by faxxaff

What's bad:

- expensive hookers with poor performance

WOW WHAT???

You must be doing dudes then

[adendreams]

Originally Posted by Deputy Chief Command

seriously.?? if you are in Thailand you have to be very very carefull with what you eat...

wrong - just go right to the first sidewalk cart and eat AMAZING food... then you may get a slight 12 hour stomach bug.. this is just you immune system adapting and after that you dont get sick again.

[CharlieBrown]

i was in bangkok 4 months last winter, hopefully will next winter too, malaysia is nice too.

[SlutsBukkake]

The other non-adult sites i run are actually travel related so it is my passion.

Originally Posted by EddyTheDog

What income woud you need to have a nice relaxed lifestyle - Nothing flash, just a clean place to live and go out when you want?

20k pa would be HEAPS. You could do it in a more rural area of SE Asia (any country) for 10k pa.

Originally Posted by DWB

If you can make $2000 a month, you can live fine in Thailand.

I guess it depends where, and your lifestyle, but 2k pm would have you living a lifestyle better than the 'average' Western lifestyle

Originally Posted by sojproductions

I hit the end of my honeymoon period about 6 months ago, it's totally true, a few years and things start to grate. Just come back to the UK for a 3 week break and already itching to get back there, I still wouldn't wanna live anywhere else right now, just need a reality check every now and again to appreciate the good things.

Great post. Asia gets to me also after a while, even when i dont live there. Things not running on time, occaisonal lack of food options, always being hassled in markets etc, but then after going back to Aus for a bit you realize what you love about it.

Originally Posted by adendreams

wrong - just go right to the first sidewalk cart and eat AMAZING food... then you may get a slight 12 hour stomach bug.. this is just you immune system adapting and after that you dont get sick again.

Yep, whenever i am in Asia the worse the place looks, the better the food generally is. Just make sure there are a lot of locals eating there. One of the best feeds i had was a hardware store, that converted to a restaurant once they packed all the mowers etc away at 5pm.

[sitesurfer70]

Just come and stay for 3 months and see it for yourself. Listening to various opinions from other people with their own personal experience not going to help you.

A lot of people think football ( soccer ) is the best sport in the world, but many says that's the worst sport ever. Go figure.

[Chosen]

Originally Posted by sitesurfer70

Just come and stay for 3 months and see it for yourself. Listening to various opinions from other people with their own personal experience not going to help you.

Sounds like a plan

[Deputy Chief Command]

Originally Posted by adendreams

wrong - just go right to the first sidewalk cart and eat AMAZING food... then you may get a slight 12 hour stomach bug.. this is just you immune system adapting and after that you dont get sick again.

[klinton]

Originally Posted by Deputy Chief Command

he is right......food is excellent over there

fresh !