Live in Paradise for 600 Bucks a Month? Take me to Thailand

Thailand is really only good for the wealthy...

Which is why Marc Faber lives here.

You really don't want to have to work here... freaking hot and a nightmare to manage unqualified Thai staff. Kinda scared for the future of my son, the roads here are lethal (the driving skills + alcohol : the price of anarchy/freedom!?)...

Great if you you can handle it, but it really isn't for the faint hearted - if you don't speak Thai you'll probably never meet the real Thai people - who don't care to learn or speak English on the whole.

Great place to visit... the best... to live here comfortably however takes $$$,$$$ or the balls to live out in the countryside as talkstory has done.

All im my (jaded) and humble opinion



Last Edited by Soup Kitchener on 07/21/2013 11:28 AM

Does Chang Mai compare to Koh Samui?

Thinking about going to KS (again) for 10 days while I am not working.

Or maybe Pattaya, but feel its pretty sleazy.

True. And when the Thais see someone scumming it, there are no more smiles :D

I am an American living in Thailand. I came here because my older brother lives here. After visiting the second time I didn't go back to the US. I came here when I was only 27 now im 32. I'm freakin out a little because I think I will have to go back to the US but don't know what I can do if I go back. I found a job teaching at a Japanese school as an English teacher. I make a good salary for thailand about 15$ per hour. So I bring home like 1700-1900 or so a month. I could easily save 500 of that each month and still be comfortable. I rent a condo that has a swimming pool,sauna and gym for 300$ a month. I think it would be more than 1000$ in the US. The problem here its really hard to make a lot of money and you arent contributing to social security or pension so you have to do everything yourself. I was waiting for the economy in the US to improve because I came out in 2008 but it seems like it isn't. So, should I come back?

Also check out Belize. Live like a King/Queen for around $800 a month. That's talked about quite a lot on the Escape Artist's Blog.

Trying to get there myself, hopefully soon!

Haha! Same boat... came here when western currency was double what it is now, and the property/credit bubble hadn't burst... those were the days eh?
Looks like going back home is a bad option still...

Yea but I came here with only 30k at 27 and just found a job. I should be building some kind of career back at home but I have so many friends with crap jobs in the states because of the economy. I'm afraid if I go back i'll be making less than I do here. It will be difficult to sell this experience to employers back at home lol. What should I do?

What are some good businesses to buy into ?.... I might be moving overseas for retirement and would like to invest in a business...I'll have around 500K to invest...

I have spent quite a bit of time there as well... would not want to live there permanently... Philippines is the better option for that.

If one wanted to go on a vacation for a week or two, how much should one bring? I think I get around 2 weeks of vacation a year, so how much would that be?

It seems like everything is cheap but I have nowhere near the funds to live there and no real marketable skill.

I would love to visit for just a bit, could you get a nice, cheap hotel room for two weeks for a couple hundred?

And also have some left over for various site seeing/activites?

Would love it if someone could direct me to some sites or give me some more info!!

Go and retrain as an oil/gas worker. ;)
Then you'll have a career and stupid amounts of money - and a home in Thailand...

Most people simply don't have the guts to pick up and move to Asia, or they can't get past the many wholesale preconceptions about the place. I like this fact as a higher degree of people are the ones who make the trip and stick. The riff raff tend to come and then go. Good riddance to Americans who can't stop being such bloody Americans.

A good job in western society ensures a 6 month stint working, a plane ride and then you're back to your waiting apartment for 6 more months of travel and vacation on an ongoing cycle,,, a great life. For year-rounders, photographers, writers, engineers or people with proper degrees in teaching have it good. The rest of you are screwed unless already wealthy or have enough to start a business and the will to jump through the endless hoops to get it started. School in Asia is also an option though, choose your degree wisely. ^^

I say Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand can be done for bare bones 600. A 1000 and you're partying.(depending on the city of course) There are other countries, but those 3 are for sure.

The best advice for anyone considering the move. Go on a month long vacation first, see if you fall in love.

If one wanted to go on a vacation for a week or two, how much should one bring? I think I get around 2 weeks of vacation a year, so how much would that be?

It seems like everything is cheap but I have nowhere near the funds to live there and no real marketable skill.

I would love to visit for just a bit, could you get a nice, cheap hotel room for two weeks for a couple hundred?

And also have some left over for various site seeing/activites?

Would love it if someone could direct me to some sites or give me some more info!!

What is an oil/gas worker?

You can get a hotel for about $16 a night, $112 a week.

Its decent but usually off the main roads. Find them by just walking around.

You can hire a scooter for $6-8 a day and drive yourself around.

Movies are $4. Ten pin bowling $3. Most local meals in the main areas are $4.

[link to community.betfair.com]

funniest thread ever on the betfair forums.

johnny drama is a cult hero on betfair because of this thread.

those who know thailand well, enjoy. if you're a rookie, enjoy :)

johnny drama's thread begins like this:

ORRIGHT?? Johnny Drama here lads just signing in for a quick update.I'm so F-cking busy lately I havent had time to tell the betfair computer nerd my stories.Its been f-cking MAD.I come here just to get soem cheap steroids thats it but things havent gone to plan.I swore to stay away from the bar scene but I actually cant stay away from it.I never paid for sex before,if you know me you know thats true but in Thailand its different.You meet the hoors in a bar and it just seems like your picking up a bitch like normal.
Ive got heaps of stories for you blokes.All I do is lift and drink and do pills and f-ck and sleep.I doen so many birds I got clamidia.Tell you about it one time.
But the biggest story of all is Im kind of in love.I met the woman of my dreams and we are living together.At first I thoght she was a good girl but after we moved in together I realise she is actually a prostitute.So is her daughter.She is in her 40s not ususally the type I go for but she is f-cking amaxing so we got a place together her me and her fat daughter who is in her early 20 and sometimes some other hookers come and stay with us.
It's my times with POON ,thats her name,that I will be telling my adventures. STAy tuned!

THE NIGHT MY PASSPORT WAS STOLEN

I went to Poons go-go around 10pm and had a few beers and tipped her 300baht.I tipped her daughter Little Bit,100baht because they were dancing together.Poon is by far the oldest dancer but she can ****ing move.When she sees me she goes into high gear.Little Bit tries to keep up but she got no high gear.
POON likes me to go to the bar.She always asks when will I be there so she make sure she wont be barfined when Im there.But according to her she doesnt do barfines.When she comes home and passes out I check her wallet and my 300baht has mysteriously turned into 3000baht but I am sure there is some explanation she wouldnt lie to me.

THE TIME POON GOT ME BARRED FROM FOODLAND


We'd had a huge night and were on our way home about 8am to sleep it off.Me Poon and Little Bit her daughter.Anyway Poon wanted to stop at Foodland to buy some whisky so I waited outside and drank a can of beer.I should add that Poon was already dead drunk and was unlikely to drink any whisky when she got home but you know how it is when you worry about running out of booze. Shes taking a long time so I go in to see whats the problem and find Poon doing a good impersonation of this bloke-
[link to www.youtube.com]

So I attempt to pick her up but she starts to abuse me very loud in a mixture of Thai and English.I get her to her feet when she unleashes a roundhouse slap to the left side of my head.Im a bit stunned and before I know whats happened I cop another on the right side.FxCKING HELL I look around and a little Thai security booger is giving it large.So I admit I lost it a bit.Johnny Drama never hits a woman unless theyre irritating so I wrap my massive Guns around both their melons and have a double headlock going.Poon Under the left gun and security booger under the right.
I start stomp marching up and down the isle because I know thats really annoying when your in a headlock.Im getting right into it and start shouting out ARSENAL ARSENAL ARSENAL in time to the march. Just then I hear Little Bit call out Hey Jonny Dama! I look up and see her bent over near the seafood section her skirt up round her waist and her middle finger in her arsshole.She is laughing and saying Jonny Dama you like?? FXCKING HELL.
While Im ogling Little Bit a checkout chick hits me over the head with a tray of prawns.I drop the headlock duo and make a run for it there all chasing me.Lucky I see my can of beer and grab it before I escape.
You know what happened? Me,Johnny Drama,got barred from Foodland.Not Poon she started it comatose drunk and violent.Not Little Bit,fingering her aarrsshole in the seafood section.No not them.Just the farang.They even got a picture up of me on the wall like some Wanted poster in a western.Fxcking Thailand.I love it!

Greetings Betfair computer nerds.Sorry I havent beeen on much lately Ive been away. Me and Poon went abck to her village to visit her family.Up in Issaan.Fxck me its poverty up there I couldnt believe it.Nice people mostly except the cxnts that are always trying to get money off me.Little Bit diddnt come with us thank fxck.She says she is sick of all her relatives and neighbours putting there c0ck in her. She means putting there c0ck in her for free!! anyway nothing could make her be away from the bar for more than 24 hours.

The Night Johnny Drama Lost His Temper With a Simple Villager

It was the first night I was there. There was a huge party all the village was there and there was mountains of food and beer and thai whiskey.I couldn;t believ the spread these dirt poor people had put on to welcome me and Poon. I was really humbled. Next day I discovered I paid for it all!!
I was a bit nervous before the party i wanted to make a good impression for Poon. So I had a little tap of coke.Just a wee bit.Then I thought fxck that it's too much.So I sucked the bong for a bit just to mellow a bit.Then I thought fxck it I should have an E just to get it down right.So I did.
Anyway skip a few hours and we're all sitting around a huge fire drinking beer and thai whiskey.Everyone's smashed.I've gone down a huge hit with the locals.They havent seen too many farangs and none as HUGE as Johnny Drama. Poon is beaming with pride. The conversation turns to football and everyone wants to know who I support.ARSENAL of course.Anyway the little thai boogers shout out names of EPL sides that they follow mostly Manchester Utd and Liverpool. But one cxnt shouts out SUNDERLAND!! I said what the fxck did you say? He says again SUNDERLAND with this toothless smile and a drunken giggle.I was like what the fxck?? I FXCKING HATE SUNDERLAND!! It's a total sh!thole with a sh!t team they make me want to vomit. I couldn't believe this little Issaan farmer from the other side of the world would follow Sunderland of all teams. I just fxcking lost it!! Even typing it now its making me so angry just thinking about it!
I ran over to him grabbed him by the thraot with one hand and lifted him off the ground shouting SUNDERLAND??FXCKING SUNDERLAND??! I didn't really know what to do with him.I didn't want to hit him but he needed to be punished.So I lowered him then put the palms of my hands on the sides of his head and started rubbing his ears very vigorously back and forth. I was screaming in his face ARSENAL ARSENAL ARSENAL!!.When I got tired I let him go.He was crying and his ears were bright red.I couldnt help laughing a bit then. The thais were a bit angry with me but when they saw me laughing they started laughing too! Then they started calling the little booger Arsenal.Thats his new name.
I saw him the other day.He's got ears his like he played prop forward for the England rugby team! He snipped me for 100 baht.Fxcking Sunderand cxnt.

JOHNNY DRAMA Private Eye Part 1

Recently I received an email from a geezer requesting my help. His name is Herman the German,a pencil neck I met at the gym a while back. I mentored him on his training and managed to pack a few pounds on his scrawny ass and we became mates. He came out here over a year ago,fell in love with the first bargirl he met and set up home with her. Apparently she had only been working the bar a week when he met her (despite her fluent English) and was actually a good girl. Theyd been living together about a year when he had to go back to Germany for a while for work. Lately hes become suspicous of her and thinks she may be decieving him. She doesnt answer the phone and when she does she has absurd excuses for why she hasnt been answering,like she was at her English language class (at 1am?).
Herman asked me if I could observe her and find any evidence that she is working as a hooker at a bar or seeing other men.He wanted absolute proof,short of me actually fxcking her.He was very insistent about that.I was not to fxck her. Yeah right!!
I had better things to do than follow some stupid bint around Bangkok so I thought up an outrageously high fee then doubled it to put him off. He accepted instantly,the cxnt.

PART 2

I realised that if I was to tail a bird around the streets it would take her about 2 minutes to know what was up. Im a face on the manor round here,everyone knows me,and apart from that my striking appearance would soon alert the bitch to my whereabouts. I needed undercover help and I knew just the two skanks for the job.Little Bit and Poon. It was their job to follow this bitch around and report to me if she went into a bar.It didnt take long before I got the call.Our target had entered a bar and according to the dynamic duo it seemed like she was a worker.I moved into position at a neighbouring bar and met up with the two other members of the team. One is a huge American geezer known only as 'State Of Maine' the other a semi bender kiwi called 'BeefEater'. State Of Maine is about 6'3 and 125 kilos and only goes with hoors about 4'11 and 40 kilos. Beefeater has a chronic need for alcohol drugs and pre-op trannie hookers,not necessarily in that order. State Of Maine is the tecnical wiz of the team. Beefeater is,well,I don't really know what Beefeater has to do with it but he's a depraved individual and fun to be with.
We got the drinks in and waved away the first load of desperate hookers trying to scrounge a lady drink.State Of Maine was in good form,relating various tales of sexual excess,and drinking like a maniac.It's hard to keep up with him. After a while I loosened up and began to check out the talent on stage. #71 was fxcking HOT so I gave her a little nod and she came over and sat with us.First she ground her gash on my kneecap then she stuck one hand down my shorts while saying what filthy things she'd like to do to me.By this time I'd forgotten all about the survellance operation!! State Of Maine and Beefeater were similarly occupied so I barfined my bitch and headed out.

if you avoid Phuket & the big cities exception of ChiengMai - you will not regret it.

too many scammers in Phuket esp. around the seaside areas

Oh, shut the fuck up, asshole.

Here in the USA, we have to put up with anything and EVERYTHING that runs, crawls, swims, or flies, over the border.

Not surprising. Most of the Chinese people on GLP are real pukes.

I wish there was some place to go that wasn't hot, muggy, and sweaty. All these "paradises" seem to be way to close to the equator for people who prefer temperate weather.

Nice thread guys, gotta run again but surprised its still alive, interesting opinions. I might venture out in the Northeast part of Thailand.