I love living in a 3rd world shithole.

onkelmicha said:
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..
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I view it for what it is. A stabilizing force within society, and I also believe it's one of the reasons I can walk the streets at night without being afraid of some gang jumping me, robbing me, and putting me in the hospital.

All governments use these same types of tactics. What would you prefer? Everyone getting drilled every day to be scared of the boogie man around every corner who's looking to murder you and eat your babies? Or everyone getting drilled with messages of unity, peace, friendship, karma, etc.?
 


One question to the shithole lovers and promoting their shitholes in this thread:

I'm not familiar at all about stuff like social security, welfare, medicare or subsidy to neither US or Thailand as an example as I haven't lived there. It would be great if you guys could comment on stuff like that because this is an aspect you have to take into consideration too when being knocked by taxes, laws and all the stuff everybody is complaining about and referring to when it comes to 'freedom'.

Sure, taxes are a pain in the ass, but don't you (or maybe you facing an unexpected turnaround in your life) profit if this stuff too ?
 
casinobonus24 said:
One question to the shithole lovers and promoting their shitholes in this thread:

I'm not familiar at all about stuff like social security, welfare, medicare or subsidy to neither US or Thailand as an example as I haven't lived there. It would be great if you guys could comment on stuff like that because this is an aspect you have to take into consideration too when being knocked by taxes, laws and all the stuff everybody is complaining about and referring to when it comes to 'freedom'.

Sure, taxes are a pain in the ass, but don't you (or maybe you facing an unexpected turnaround in your life) profit if this stuff too ?
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Besides taxes and the higher value of the €/$, that'd be one of the main aspects for me too (also from Germany), before considering a relocation. Seeing how all the insurances easily cummulate to 800-1000€/month around here (if you have private health insurance), it'd be good to know what the 'fixed' costs in terms of insurance, health care etc. are in countries like Thailand. Also: how are the dentists?
 
mrmeotz said:
Besides taxes and the higher value of the €/$, that'd be one of the main aspects for me too (also from Germany), before considering a relocation. Seeing how all the insurances easily cummulate to 800-1000€/month around here (if you have private health insurance), it'd be good to know what the 'fixed' costs in terms of insurance, health care etc. are in countries like Thailand. Also: how are the dentists?
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When I looked into it and got offers from a broker, health insurance ranges from 20,000 baht to 50,000 baht a year which is around 600-1500 USD a year so very affordable.
 
rusvik said:
When I looked into it and got offers from a broker, health insurance ranges from 20,000 baht to 50,000 baht a year which is around 600-1500 USD a year so very affordable.
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A year? Holy... I definitely have to visit for 2-3 weeks and check out the country etc.. Recommended places, except Bangkok?
 
mrmeotz said:
A year? Holy... I definitely have to visit for 2-3 weeks and check out the country etc.. Recommended places, except Bangkok?
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Phuket is very nice even if places like Patong are overrun by package tourists. It's a big island with tonnes of stuff to do. If you get a bungalow or house some km outside the main beaches, Patong, Kata, Karon, you can live in relatively peace while being close to the crazy nightlife in Patong, which is actually fun and young and a mix of regular clubs and whore bars. Patong is a pretty wild place to party, liked it. Then there are a whole lot very nice beaches on Phuket like Laem Singh, Nai Harn, Surin which are more local/resort beaches without the crowds. Then there's great seafood, loads of active stuff to do, thai boxing camps etc. Plenty of day trips to do for fishing, diving, climbing, chilling. Only drawback is that the traffic is rather dangerous, particularly if drunk, and that the only real hospitals are far away in Phuket city, so don't crash and die on the road.

Koh Samui is much smaller than Phuket, but also more chill and worth hanging out for a few weeks. I'd stay away from Pattaya, byt that's just me. It's the seediest, low class place in the world.

I'd still say Phuket is the nicest place to spend some time in Thailand, that and Bangkok which is fun if you have money and hit the clubs.
 
1. Koh Samui > Phuket.

2. If you are looking for Dental/Medical Tourism, you'd be doing it wrong to go to a vacation spot for that... Stay in BKK for such services! (Nicest hospital you could imagine: Samitavej)

3. Who needs insurance for medical/dental when their prices are so cheap???
 
lukep said:
3. Who needs insurance for medical/dental when their prices are so cheap???
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Ever considered a scenario in which you suffer from an accident and are somehow unable to work ? There is medical care that will end up pretty much expensive, not talking about anything dental or similiar. Pretty short-term approach to think like that. Some care takes tens of thousands of dollars, I just recently got a bill for a surgery of a relative of mine which ended up being around 25.000 € for about a 1 week stay in hospital.

Of course it's unlikely to happen, but it's a possibility. That would be one risk I would be affraid of.
 
^ Where was the hospital?

Lukep is saying that because top shelf medical care is pretty cheap in Thailand. My wife had surgery at Bumrungrad. Total cost for everything - doctor and all operation fees plus 4 nights in a private room including an extra bed for me - was less than USD2,000. Charged in on my credit card, Done.

I recently had surgery on my foot. Surgeon is one of the top foot docs in Thailand who practiced in the US and Europe for years before coming back here. Total cost including 2 nights private room was USD700.

Catastrophic coverage is a good idea but for routine and planned medical care you can just pay out of pocket, unless you are a peasant and living hand to mouth.
 
I've spent about half of the last decade outside the US and have lived in both Asia and Europe. Whenever I move again, it will probably be to a place with a lower cost of living, maybe Thailand or Indonesia, and I'm not sure if I'll ever move back to the US permanently.

However, having said that, I'm a little confused about the talk of freedom. I'm not sure I've felt more or less free in any country that I've been in. For the average person going about his average daily life, I don't think the issue of freedom really comes up in any reasonably developed country. When we bicker about things on the internets, it's easy to be bothered by some things, but what percentage of the population in any country are really affected by those things? Sure, some individuals certainly get screwed at the hands of the government, and people should rightfully get pissed about that. BUT, it's insane to think that such things don't happen in every country on earth. In the US, those things are getting more and more visibility. Do you think that everyone that gets shit on in Thailand has a youtube video posted about it and media outlets reporting on it?

Getting visibility on the bad shit is a GOOD thing. Ironically, it makes people feel worse, but the fact that people are willing and able to talk about it is a fuck of a lot healthier than the alternative.

On a less serious note, the product availability thing seems odd to me too. Sure, I can find some things that I couldn't find in the US, but variety of things that are available feels much worse. Laugh at Walmart all you want, but some things would be a fuck of a lot easier if there were always one nearby. (Well, one stocked with the stuff from home anyway... foreign versions don't always count.)
 
I've lived in many different countries throughout my life. Lately I've been exploring Asia. I haven't been back in the states for 6 years and I can honestly say I know what it's like to live in a free country. It's amazing how relaxing it is to never fear the police. Those of you living in the states take it for granted and think it's normal to have aggressive assholes roaming the streets looking for excuses to harass, ticket, and beat the citizens. You will never realize how much of a police state you live in until you've experienced real freedom.

Thailand is great, I lived there for about a year. Spent a year in India, and have been parked in Taiwan for the last 4+ years. It's far from perfect and like any place has its downsides, but I'm not sure I will ever want to live in a police state again. I can remember vaguely what it was like to be driving in the states where you need to FEAR the police even when your doing nothing wrong. Oh no, they're behind me, what do I do? Shit! Fuck they're following me, what am I doing wrong? Fuck!

Simply doesn't happen here. The cops leave people alone. In fact, where I live in the lawless south, it's damn near impossible to ever get stopped, questioned or otherwise have an interaction with the police regardless of your actions. Drive down the the wrong side of the road, Run red lights, park in the middle of the road, no problem. The police simply don't give a fuck. Their job is not to harass or collect revenue.

I get free health insurance (national health care), hospital, dental, the whole nine yards. Regardless of what they do, MRI, xrays, diagnostics, medication, no matter what they do it's always a flat $100 NT (US $3) payment.

Tons of high quality fresh fruit, vegetables and seafood. Open air markets, vendors along side the road. No need to buy the crap from a supermarket. Much higher quality and lower prices straight from the farmers. Some of the best tea in the world. Great seafood, cheap sushi, cheap teppanakki, tons of great vegetarian buffets and all the crappy western chains like Starbucks, Mcd's, Kentucky Fried, etc... There is MSG in many things though, so that's always a challenge, but most places are happy to leave it out since many of the locals are also sensitive to it.

Oh and the bs about MSG in Thailand. Obviously a complete lie. The Thais have great food and no need for msg. I never had a problem with msg in Thailand, and I'm highly sensitive to it so there's no way they could hide it. Taiwan is a different story entirely. MSG is big in Chinese culture, not Thai cuisine. The Thais know how to cook, how to use herbs, spices, and CHILI PEPPERS, they have no need for msg. If your not sweating profusely, it has no flavor. Mai Aroy!

The folks sitting in their moms basement dissing other countries need to explore a little. There's a whole world out there. What you see on the idiot tube, the internet, or books and stories is nothing like the real thing. You don't know shit about a place until you've lived there a while. Money is worthless unless we use it to experience the world.
 
momchil9 said:
medical tourism in Thailand? Are you high or something?

Israel/Swizzerland/Denmark.
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Medical tourism is HUGE in Thailand, mainly for oil rich arabs. A lot of flat chested western women also get a cheap pair of silicone balloons to go with a 14 day package tour. Then there's all those who go to have their dick chopped off or inverted.

You're probably just ignorant.
 
dsiomtw said:
Still waiting for someone to give a specific example of repression or lack of real freedom here in the US. I'm talking about something that materially and negatively affects my life, that I wouldn't experience in Thailand. Silly moaning and groaning about the TSA and other petty shit like that doesn't count. Seriously, I'm waiting. It's only about the 10th time I've asked ... or is the silence your answer?
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First of all, I agree with evil penguin in that we shouldn't take for granted all the things that being American has given us. I never say things like "fuck The US" bc it just feels disrespectful to all those that fought so hard to make it great. It has blessed me and countless others immensely, and I am forever thankful. I'm also sad that I don't think that future generations will be able to say the same. It truly hurts to see where this country is headed...but I'd have to be a fool to not see it.

I'm amazed when people say things like I quoted above. The loss of freedoms is STAGGERING and ACCELERATING. Just yesterday, the farmer that I've been buying fresh fruits and veggies, grass fed beef, and all other kinds of goodies from was straight up raided and closed down. Just for selling raw milk. It's truly insane. The attack on small, independent farms is, to me, one of the most disturbing things of all. That is one of your most basic, fundamental rights...and it's being crushed all across the country in a systematic and evil manner. All you have to do is look into it a bit, and you would see what I'm talking about. It's a clear cut agenda.

Here's another example: I live in a national park in Arkansas..literally one of the most beautiful places you could want to live. For years I've been riding my dirt bike through the thousands of miles of trails that run through the Ouachita Mtns but last year they made it illegal and it's now a thousand dollar fine if your caught riding the trails of any land deemed national forest. It has absolutely nothing to do with preserving the land...the land has been privatized by the federal government through the guise of protection. It's the same method that's always used...give up your rights/freedom for protection/safety.

That vid that was posted about not being able to use the rain water is but the tip of the iceberg. Dig in and you'll find stories of people fined for having gardens, old cars in the yard when their in the middle of nowhere, grass being too tall, signs being too big...I could go on.

How do people like you not realize that these things will expand and accelerate to the point when it finally does affect you and your freedoms? Just because it hasn't yet...do you not have any foresight at all?
 
A Mongolian girl I used to bang went to Thailand to enlarge her boobs. So, it's not only the Arabs.

rusvik said:
Medical tourism is HUGE in Thailand, mainly for oil rich arabs. A lot of flat chested western women also get a cheap pair of silicone balloons to go with a 14 day package tour. Then there's all those who go to have their dick chopped off or inverted.

You're probably just ignorant.
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