I love living in a 3rd world shithole.

[lukep]

Thank you for the picture, now I have to clean my computer screen and keyboard and pants.

Everything I heard about Malta is the bomb.. great real estate and cheap, good schools, medical facilities, everyone speaks engrish.

There've been a few threads here in the last few months about Malta, do a search and you'll see more specific info on it.

If I remember correctly, everyone agreed it's awesome for 6 months and then you'll be bored enough to kill yourself if you stay a day longer.

My chick just said "no" so looks like I am going to be single on Malta hahahaha

LOL; Why in the hell would she not want to visit there??

 

[Fatbat]

Thank you for the picture, now I have to clean my computer screen and keyboard and pants.

Everything I heard about Malta is the bomb.. great real estate and cheap, good schools, medical facilities, everyone speaks engrish.

My chick just said "no" so looks like I am going to be single on Malta hahahaha

I know a few people there because it's one of the offshore gaming licencing/tax havens and people in the biz move around a lot. What Luke said; small and not a ton to do. Drinking seems to be most people's pastime. Mainland Europe isn't too far away, but you need to fly or take a long ass ferry ride. Stuff isn't that cheap, because like with any island, goods all need to be shipped or flown in. Most people I know who've gone to live there have enjoyed it, but have ended up leaving about one or two years later.

 

[Kiopa_Matt]

Malta pics, if anyone wants:

 

[webjedi]

There've been a few threads here in the last few months about Malta, do a search and you'll see more specific info on it.

If I remember correctly, everyone agreed it's awesome for 6 months and then you'll be bored enough to kill yourself if you stay a day longer.

LOL; Why in the hell would she not want to visit there??

Luke I know I think I was the one jabbering about Malta left and right about 6 mos. ago.

I think it's the water she don't like.

Most people I know who've gone to live there have enjoyed it, but have ended up leaving about one or two years later.

Great pics, really puts it into perspective. It seems to be a fairly tiny dot in the Med Sea too, that sorta worries me.. about the boredom, I don't get bored.

Here is a camel that ushered me into my evening run ..

 

[tencentpiece]

And of course part of it is financial. Why would I go drop say $5mil on a house in Vancouver, when I can get the same if not better for say $500k here?

To be fair, you can't buy a house here unless you're a Thai resident.

I don't get the "you have more freedom" in thailand than the US argument that you and particularly lukep uses. You've got less basic freedom here and any additional freedom you get is either bought for in connections or cash.

I'd still much rather experience another culture though than live in my own little bubble.

 

[geomark]

To be fair, you can't buy a house here unless you're a Thai resident.

It's more restrictive than that even, you can't own land unless you are a Thai citizen. Although, you can own a condo if you are a foreigner, except the condo project can have no more than 49% foreign ownership. There are some arrangements to get around the restrictions like owning via a business you control but they're kind of messy and it is technically illegal to use a business as a proxy to own land so you are always at risk of getting hosed.

 

[lukep]

I don't get the "you have more freedom" in thailand than the US argument that you and particularly lukep uses. You've got less basic freedom here and any additional freedom you get is either bought for in connections or cash.

That's because you're an Ozzie.

Just wait until the Australian version of NDAA is passed, accompanied by predator drones spotted over Sydney and you'll start to get a sense of what we have going on over here...

 

[guerilla]

You've got less basic freedom here and any additional freedom you get is either bought for in connections or cash.

For people of means, that might mean freedom.

 

[leeboi999]

Hey man nice place. If your ever down bangkok way lemme know!
Thailand is the best no doubt about it lol. I could never move back to England

 

[leeboi999]

It's more restrictive than that even, you can't own land unless you are a Thai citizen. Although, you can own a condo if you are a foreigner, except the condo project can have no more than 49% foreign ownership. There are some arrangements to get around the restrictions like owning via a business you control but they're kind of messy and it is technically illegal to use a business as a proxy to own land so you are always at risk of getting hosed.

Prostitution is illegal here too, but...

 

[starklenx]

That's because you're an Ozzie.

Just wait until the Australian version of NDAA is passed, accompanied by predator drones spotted over Sydney and you'll start to get a sense of what we have going on over here...

All world population wanna migrate in the US. US residents want to leave . Figure that out
lol

 

[lukep]

All world population wanna migrate in the US. US residents want to leave . Figure that out
lol

Hmm... You're giving me an idea for an identity swap racket.... Now if only I can figure out the part with the DNA and fingerprints...

 

[geomark]

Prostitution is illegal here too, but...

Not quite the same thing, eh? Pay your bucks and get your service. They can't take it away from you 'cuz you already got it. And if in some very bizarre case they decide to enforce the law on you:

On the other hand, sink a sizeable investment into some land then later the phony deed is invalidated. Tough luch bro, no refunds.

 

[Kiopa_Matt]

I don't get the "you have more freedom" in thailand than the US argument that you and particularly lukep uses. You've got less basic freedom here and any additional freedom you get is either bought for in connections or cash.

On paper, yes, you generally have less freedom being an expat here, versus a resident of your home country. Maybe "freedom" is the wrong word, and something like "personal liberation" would be better? I think it's just a bunch of small things, when rolled up, make for a big thing.

For example, you mentioned how great it was enjoying some prawns and a couple beers on the beach. I don't know about Aus, but there's no way you can do that in Canada. You can't serve people food or beer on the beach. You'd be shut down, arrested, and fined out the ass, and within hours of trying too.

You know what happens when someone wants to setup a little roadside shop, and sell soup? They buy a stall for $300, some food for say $100, then negotiate with a neighbor who has a corner lot to use their land, and go to work. That's it. You can't do that in Canada. Again, shutdown within hours. Hell, in the US there's reports of 9 year old kids getting their lemonade stalls shutdown by police, because they didn't have proper permits.

And I could go on forever with small things like that. Again, take thousands of those small things, roll them up into one, and it definitely impacts society. Many things might not impact me personally, but they do impact everyone around me, their perception of reality, their personas, and so on, which all indirectly affect me, my perception of reality, etc. Whereas in Canada you're constantly surrounded by worried people who are trying to do the right thing, but are burdened down due to this and that, etc.

I don't know, probably not a good explanation, but best way I can describe it in words.

 

[geomark]

On paper, yes, you generally have less freedom being an expat here, versus a resident of your home country. Maybe "freedom" is the wrong word, and something like "personal liberation" would be better? I think it's just a bunch of small things, when rolled up, make for a big thing.

For example, you mentioned how great it was enjoying some prawns and a couple beers on the beach. I don't know about Aus, but there's no way you can do that in Canada. You can't serve people food or beer on the beach. You'd be shut down, arrested, and fined out the ass, and within hours of trying too.

You know what happens when someone wants to setup a little roadside shop, and sell soup? They buy a stall for $300, some food for say $100, then negotiate with a neighbor who has a corner lot to use their land, and go to work. That's it. You can't do that in Canada. Again, shutdown within hours.

And I could go on forever with small things like that. Again, take thousands of those small things, roll them up into one, and it definitely impacts society. Many things might not impact me personally, but they do impact everyone around me, their perception of reality, their personas, and so on, which all indirectly affect me, my perception of reality, etc. Whereas in Canada you're constantly surrounded by worried people who are trying to do the right thing, but are burdened down due to this and that, etc.

I don't know, probably not a good explanation, but best way I can describe it in words.

I know what you are talking about, feel it all around me everyday. But people who haven't lived it don't know what you are talking about. And I'm thankful for that.

 

[lukep]

For example, you mentioned how great it was enjoying some prawns and a couple beers on the beach. I don't know about Aus, but there's no way you can do that in Canada. You can't serve people food or beer on the beach. You'd be shut down, arrested, and fined out the ass, and within hours of trying too.

You know what happens when someone wants to setup a little roadside shop, and sell soup? They buy a stall for $300, some food for say $100, then negotiate with a neighbor who has a corner lot to use their land, and go to work. That's it. You can't do that in Canada. Again, shutdown within hours.

And I could go on forever with small things like that. Again, take thousands of those small things, roll them up into one, and it definitely impacts society. Many things might not impact me personally, but they do impact everyone around me, their perception of reality, their personas, and so on, which all indirectly affect me, my perception of reality, etc. Whereas in Canada you're constantly surrounded by worried people who are trying to do the right thing, but are burdened down due to this and that, etc.

I don't know, probably not a good explanation, but best way I can describe it in words.

No, that was a great explanation... It gets right at the root of the difference between a free society and an unfree society. It's just we've been conditioned for so long here to think that you NEED those "protections" that ppl who haven't seen a free society are likely to argue in their heads at least when they hear an example like "Sell food on the beach" - They'll actually try to give defense to their home country for the sake of litter or the permit system in general... When they've only been conditioned to think these are good things in the first place.

...But they're not really. Their price is too damn high! -And taken together with the thousands of other examples it makes for a twisted, convoluted slave society where there is a justification for every evil done to you.

 

[geomark]

Here's one that I really love. PVC plumbing. All of Thailand is plumbed with it. So easy to do it yourself. I've plumbed several houses in the last 10 years and it's holding strong. But in the US it is prohibited, and that is due to unions and lobbies that make sure you have to pay an expensive plumber to pipe your house.

So many simple freedoms like this. They really add up.

 

[Kiopa_Matt]

Sorry to keep going back to it, but another prime example is Songkran. Do you know what Songkran in Canada would look like? It would have to be 100% planned and organized. There would be designated starting & ending points, with a specific route that people must take. All roads comprising of this route would have small metal barriers erected on both sides.

There would also be a designated start & end time, so if you want to have fun, you need to ensure you're at the starting point at the right time. From there, you can begin your fun walk through the barricaded streets as if you're cattle, while police are both in front leading you, and behind trailing you. Don't you dare crack a beer during this fun process, or you're off to jail for a few hours!

Fuck me, talking about murdering the human spirit.

Really, who wants to live like that? "Ok, great time coming to our city! Make sure you're there by 2:30pm, so we can walk through the human-sized cattle garters (???? -- I know that word is wrong) together, and be done by 6:30pm, because that's when our permit for fun runs out! Hope you all have a great day!". That's exactly what the West is nowadays.

 

[onkelmicha]

what do you guys feel with all the feel good propaganda at the movies? there is atleast 2-3 company commercials about how good they are and how muhc they love the king. Then we have all the ince nature pictures with all the smiling thai people to show how lovely and united they are together. Also the song played at 6pm so all people in malls and BTS stops slowly hlt up to listen to..

 

[geomark]

what do you guys feel with all the feel good propaganda at the movies? there is atleast 2-3 company commercials about how good they are and how muhc they love the king. Then we have all the ince nature pictures with all the smiling thai people to show how lovely and united they are together. Also the song played at 6pm so all people in malls and BTS stops slowly hlt up to listen to..

Kind of cute but rather childish. Propaganda it definitey is. That's how country owners control the masses. Seems like a nicer way to do it than broadcasting terrorism threat levels and passing laws that make it ok to imprison you without trial and strip you of your citizenship.