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Old 09-16-2008, 08:30 AM   #1
shokdee
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Default Why Thailand?

Thailand offers many unique advantages to anyone preparing for upcoming changes.

These include:
(1) fertile land with abundance of food, not just rice, but huge number of fruits and vegetables growing everywhere. Also plenty of other useful plants such as bamboo, rattan, grasses, herbs, trees.
(2) broad diet that opens many possibilities for food sources. Not only a range of fresh and salt water foods (fishes, crabs, eel, squid, crayfish, mollusks, etc) but additionally, Thai diet could include insects, grubs, ant eggs, frogs, cane rats (but not dogs, cats, or rabbits!). You will never starve to death in Thailand.
(3) inspirational King. Many years ago the much-revered King introduced the notion of a sufficiency economy, urging all Thais to become more self-sufficient. If you mention to a Thai that you are interested in small-scale farming, organic farming, biodiesal, reforestation, bee-keeping, natural soaps, etc their faces will light up and you'll get their full support.
(4) strong tradition of handicrafts. All items you need for day-to-day living are already made from natural materials in Thailand (eating utensils, housing/shelter, boats and nets, baskets, clothes, and so on)
(5) incredibly tolerant society. Whatever your appearance, sexual or religious orientation, Thais will let you be.
(6) generally low crime and violence, with strong sense of community, focused around the local temple. Public displays of anger or aggression are frowned upon.
(7) carefree attitude. Life must be "sanook" (fun) and when things do go wrong then it's "mai pen rai" (never mind/so be it). Thailand is known as "the land of smiles".
(8) foodstuff, clothing, raw materials, labor relatively cheap.
(9) very little regulation with less red-tape then most countries. You can construct whatever style house you want, modify your drive anyway you want, run a business with minimal inspections.
(10) climate is broadly tropical. Warm climate means no need for hot water systems, home heating, heavy clothes. Abundance of rain means water readily available.
(11) Thais are practical and can get by with very little. They can wash with just a few cups of water, sleep in a basic bamboo shelter, gather food from their surroundings.
(12) melting pot of cultures. Thailand is a long country stretching from Malaysia in the south to Laos in the north. There is also a strong Chinese influence, a strong Indian influence and a Western influence.
(13) gold is readily available and is easy to buy and sell (jewelery or bars). Most Thais buy gold as a hedge and reliable store of wealth.
(14) wide range of alternative automotive fuels available. From gasoline, diesal, bio-diesal, ethanol, and various types of gas.
(15) women are treated fairly and equal to men. Most construction sites or roadworks will include as many women as men, most small-scale businesses are run by women.

Naturally, it's not all rosy and Thailand has problems too. But overall this is a special country and worth considering.
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Old 09-17-2008, 02:36 AM   #2
storm4ce
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

That sounds good. This thread may give some more idea.
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Old 09-26-2008, 07:14 AM   #3
Phtha
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Sounds like a great place thank you for posting all that information.

I have been looking at moving to Asian areas. Mongolia seems nice too, four seasons, lots of open land.

Thailand certainly sounds nice though after reading your great thread.

Is property expensive there?

What are the monthly living costs for the average person?
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Old 09-26-2008, 07:23 AM   #4
mikey
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Thailand is a great haven and ''safe'' in my honest opinion...

peace

bananaman
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Old 09-26-2008, 08:36 AM   #5
Steve_A
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Hi shokdee,

You forgot to include the residency visa proceedure. Is it easy? How many palms to grease?

People need to take into consideration that planning you escape needs to be done LEGALLY otherwise you could lose everything you have invested in.

Best regards,

Steve



Quote:
Originally Posted by shokdee View Post
Thailand offers many unique advantages to anyone preparing for upcoming changes.

These include:
(1) fertile land with abundance of food, not just rice, but huge number of fruits and vegetables growing everywhere. Also plenty of other useful plants such as bamboo, rattan, grasses, herbs, trees.
(2) broad diet that opens many possibilities for food sources. Not only a range of fresh and salt water foods (fishes, crabs, eel, squid, crayfish, mollusks, etc) but additionally, Thai diet could include insects, grubs, ant eggs, frogs, cane rats (but not dogs, cats, or rabbits!). You will never starve to death in Thailand.
(3) inspirational King. Many years ago the much-revered King introduced the notion of a sufficiency economy, urging all Thais to become more self-sufficient. If you mention to a Thai that you are interested in small-scale farming, organic farming, biodiesal, reforestation, bee-keeping, natural soaps, etc their faces will light up and you'll get their full support.
(4) strong tradition of handicrafts. All items you need for day-to-day living are already made from natural materials in Thailand (eating utensils, housing/shelter, boats and nets, baskets, clothes, and so on)
(5) incredibly tolerant society. Whatever your appearance, sexual or religious orientation, Thais will let you be.
(6) generally low crime and violence, with strong sense of community, focused around the local temple. Public displays of anger or aggression are frowned upon.
(7) carefree attitude. Life must be "sanook" (fun) and when things do go wrong then it's "mai pen rai" (never mind/so be it). Thailand is known as "the land of smiles".
(8) foodstuff, clothing, raw materials, labor relatively cheap.
(9) very little regulation with less red-tape then most countries. You can construct whatever style house you want, modify your drive anyway you want, run a business with minimal inspections.
(10) climate is broadly tropical. Warm climate means no need for hot water systems, home heating, heavy clothes. Abundance of rain means water readily available.
(11) Thais are practical and can get by with very little. They can wash with just a few cups of water, sleep in a basic bamboo shelter, gather food from their surroundings.
(12) melting pot of cultures. Thailand is a long country stretching from Malaysia in the south to Laos in the north. There is also a strong Chinese influence, a strong Indian influence and a Western influence.
(13) gold is readily available and is easy to buy and sell (jewelery or bars). Most Thais buy gold as a hedge and reliable store of wealth.
(14) wide range of alternative automotive fuels available. From gasoline, diesal, bio-diesal, ethanol, and various types of gas.
(15) women are treated fairly and equal to men. Most construction sites or roadworks will include as many women as men, most small-scale businesses are run by women.

Naturally, it's not all rosy and Thailand has problems too. But overall this is a special country and worth considering.
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Old 09-26-2008, 07:27 PM   #6
warriorsoul
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

agree...also, when you start building up your nest, you might need permits, ect...though with asian countries the permits are less stringent i assume...more like bribing the local enforcers...

so, those that want to relocate or set up remote are, be very thorough..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve_A View Post
Hi shokdee,

You forgot to include the residency visa proceedure. Is it easy? How many palms to grease?

People need to take into consideration that planning you escape needs to be done LEGALLY otherwise you could lose everything you have invested in.

Best regards,

Steve
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Old 09-30-2008, 05:47 PM   #7
shokdee
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Q-Is property expensive there? What are the monthly living costs for the average person?

In the main tourist areas such as Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui and so on, land can be very pricey but everywhere else it is much cheaper. Thailand is such a big country that you have many areas to choose from. You can certainly get large, lush pieces of land at rates that are very good compared to most countries. Although foreigners (non-Thais) can not legally own land, there are a number of ways around this such as renting long term or setting up a holding company. Also be aware that there are a range of different types of land deed which I won't go into now. Hundreds of thousands of foreigners live happily in Thailand, so none of these are major impediments.

Thailand is one of the world's cheapest places to stay in terms of rent, infrastructure (water/electric/transport), food, clothing, taxes, etc. That is why many retirees end up in Thailand - they can live at a much higher standard of living on their pensions then in say the EU or the USA. The average person could live very comfortably in Thailand on 1,000 US dollars (over 33,000 baht) a month.

Q-You forgot to include the residency visa proceedure. Is it easy? How many palms to grease? People need to take into consideration that planning you escape needs to be done LEGALLY otherwise you could lose everything you have invested in.

I agree that you should do everything legally. There are a number of options in terms of visas. These range from retirement visa if over 50 year old, to work visa, study visa, tourist visa, marriage visa and so on. For many long term residents the "visa run" to the nearest border is a minor inconvenience that is part of living in Thailand. For visas there are no "palms to grease" as Thailand and surrounding countries (Burma, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam) are generally "clean". I have stayed in Thailand many years and have never had to pay any bribes to any Thai official or any official from any other country (and I have been in and out of the surrounding countries quite a bit). You can browse a website such as www.thaivisa.com and read more in the forum. Of course there is corruption and you will have to pay bribes if you break the law (I paid a small one recently when caught speeding).

Basically in Thailand if you keep your nose clean and play by the Thai rules, you will have no problems at all.
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Old 10-08-2008, 01:15 AM   #8
jaydee
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

We are in the process of moving from Australia to Thailand and are wanting to ship our household goods. It is a very difficult process and should not be taken lightly. There are numerous hurdles to overcome and, due to Thailand being a Kingdom, it isn't as easy as people may think. Do your homework if you are considering this move but I agree with previous posts, it is worth the effort.
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Old 10-13-2008, 04:19 PM   #9
Baron Cross
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Hello everyone! whats a good place in asia to settle down? I was thinking Thailand , Philippines or Malaysia whats the difference between the those countries? Thanks BC
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Old 10-14-2008, 01:30 AM   #10
jaydee
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

I haven't been to the Phillipines but both Thailand and Malaysia are beautiful countries. The main difference for me is the predominant Buddhist philosophy of Thailand and the gentleness of its people.
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Old 10-14-2008, 01:42 AM   #11
Brinty
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Does anyone have information about the high ground of Thailand? In the event of tsunamis a high altitude would be desirable coupled with a lack of volcanoes.
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Old 10-14-2008, 03:22 PM   #12
shokdee
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Thailand has no active volcanoes.

High ground? Depends what height above sea level you have in mind. Thailand has a central floodplain (which serves as the world's main rice growing area). To the north are major mountains ranges, which stretch down along the western border of Thailand, all the way to Malaysia. To the north east is the plateau which is also relatively high. The best way to really explore this is to use Google Earth. Bring Thailand into focus, you don't need to have very high zoom. Now, as you run your mouse pointer over areas, the elevation appears in the lower area of the screen. You can set this to display height above sea level in feet or meters. You can quickly survey the altitudes of various mountain ranges/areas this way. Also bear in mind that an area of lower elevation might be suitable as long as there is an area of higher elevation/mountain range between it and the sea, to act as a barrier.
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Old 11-15-2008, 02:11 AM   #13
Umadevi
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Is anyone actually putting together a ground crew or community in Thailand? I will be there Jan-Feb 09 and would like to meet/discuss. I lived and worked in the kingdom for 4 years and am considering a move back. Looking for a place to create "radiant Zone' with others.
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Old 11-17-2008, 04:56 PM   #14
jEFF bURBANK
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Umadevi View Post
Is anyone actually putting together a ground crew or community in Thailand? I will be there Jan-Feb 09 and would like to meet/discuss. I lived and worked in the kingdom for 4 years and am considering a move back. Looking for a place to create "radiant Zone' with others.
Hi, I'm Jeff, first post, I am moving to Thailand, first a visitor visa in Jan, then I'll work up from there. I met my TGF while she was getting an MBA here in Portland Or, so I won't be on my own. I've never been to Thailand but I sure like the idea of warm weather and friendly people. My thoughts are this, there is no place to move that is any safer than another. My move to Thailand is to be with the woman that I love and enjoy life. I believe that the key to survival is to think happy thoughts then feel happy. I know it is not easy and it goes against our conditioning. The power is in our collective thought, we hold the future in what we think and feel. If we think about horrible things then feel fearful we give power to those things. On the other hand if we think of a joyful life of abundance and feel good about that then that which we focus on is what we will have. Anyway, I'm in the PNW USA for now, I'll be in LA for XMAS with family then on to Pataya Thailand in January. my e-mail is piplucky@gmail.com
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Old 11-18-2008, 08:24 AM   #15
piers2210
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

I spend a lot of time in Manila, Philippines with my filipina g/f, so if anyone is over in Manila it would be great to have some contacts there....in many parts of Asia (but particularly Thailand and Philippines) you can live comfortably for $1,000 a month and i reckon it may be a better place to be than Europe/USA soon. Residency in Philippines is straightforward and easier than Thailand but Thailand is brilliant. Both Philippines and Thailand are safe, welcoming and cheap, with a lovely relaxed lifestyle. Bangkok is better located for air travel than Manila though.
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Old 11-21-2008, 12:04 PM   #16
shokdee
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Ground Crew in Thailand
We are setting up a small community so anyone interested in getting in touch can contact me at shokdee at gmail.com
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Old 11-21-2008, 01:12 PM   #17
eugene_vn
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

I agree that Southeast Asia has a lot of attractive aspects for getting through the coming changes. For myself, I am riding things out nearby in the highlands of Vietnam.

For those thinking about going to Thailand, to my mind there are a few key considerations:

1) As others have mentioned, elevation. While today the Chaophraya delta (i.e. Bangkok and surrounding lowlands) is one of the world's major rice-growing areas, it's very possible the whole river plain will become part of the sea before 2012. Therefore I'd avoid the Chaophraya delta and the southern peninsula, which is also too close to the sea. The highlands around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai and surrounding areas seem much better geographically speaking.

2) Look out for a war scenario involving at least Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam in the 2009-2015 timeframe. The basic cause of this war would be a need by all three countries for fresh water in the wake of a massive rise in sea levels. Currently both Thailand and Vietnam are self-sufficient in terms of rice production based on the Chaophraya and Mekong deltas, respectively. However, if those areas go underwater (which NASA and other scientific groups think is a good possiblity over the next 50 years), the natural source of fresh water (for both drinking and rice cultivation) which both countries will look to is the Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia. This could easily re-ignite the war which raged between Thailand and Vietnam over control of Cambodia between the early 18th century and the 1830s. (In fact it was only French colonialism which really brought an end to this conflict.) Already we see nationalists in Thailand urging aggressive and provocative military actions on the eastern border with Cambodia, while Vietnam has dominated the Cambodian political system since 1979 and many of its old maps (like Thailand's) show territory that is now "Cambodia" to be part of Vietnam. This is not to argue that either Thailand or Vietnam have a legitimate right to invade Cambodia, but we can see that the seeds of war are being sown as we speak. Moreover, there is a distinct possibility that the United States might get involved in such a war (on the Cambodian side) since the U.S. Air Force is reportedly considering setting up a base near the western Cambodian town of Battambang. If Thai forces were to threaten that area, it's not clear what the U.S. response might be since their main motivation for basing there is fear that the Thai government may seek to close U.S. military bases now in Thailand.

3) As a general rule, one can expect religious conflict to increase over the next several years as hard economic times set in. Therefore, it's probably best to avoid areas where Muslim and Buddhist Thais live close to one another. The more religiously homogenous areas are likely to be safer.

This is just to point out a couple of issues to keep in mind for ground team members in Thailand. Obviously it's not going to be especially easy to ride things out in any part of the world. So best wishes to team members there. Updates will be much appreciated!

Last edited by eugene_vn; 11-21-2008 at 01:36 PM.
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Old 11-26-2008, 04:19 AM   #18
piers2210
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

Just a quick update on the present troubles in Thailand, where i am right now. Certain protesters led by a group called the People's Alliance for Democracy (the PAD) are currently disrupting certain essential parts of Bangkok life such as the airport and traffic in the city as these are high profile and get lots of publicity. The airport was shut last night due to protesters breaking through a police cordone and were roaming around the terminals. The traffic flow (always bad) in Bangkok has been worse than normal as taxis etc skirt round the blocked areas where the protesters have gathered. But life goes on much as normal otherwise.

The PAD want to scrap Thailand's one person-one vote democratic system in favour of appointed professionals. Sounds good to me, as practically all the democratic systems of the world aren't democratic at all - just look at how politicians get selected to run for office. The USA and the UK are great examples of democratic systems in need of overhaul.

Check out this article on the current situation in Bangkok:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122762440088656477.html
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Old 11-28-2008, 04:08 AM   #19
piers2210
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

The airport continues to be shut for the fourth day now, stranding thousands. It is part of the global process of change away from the old power elite that has been predicted by many, including the mayan calendar. The problem is that the current troubles are going to cause many economic problems for the thai people, and decisions about where people will travel to are likely to exclude thailand for some time to come. Until the problems resolve themselves, which may be many months, Thailand cannot seriously be recommended as a venue as we approach the 2012 end times.

Here's a good article on the current administration and situation in Thailand, and the key personnel involved.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...ibw&refer=home
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Old 11-28-2008, 06:01 PM   #20
piers2210
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Default Re: Why Thailand?

that link didn't work.

Here's another one:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008...-protest-talks

truely a disaster for the thai economy and also the idea that thailand is a "stable" economy. clearly it isn't. the future is good however, as countries, like people, must change to move forward. As the Dharma, the laws of the universe, says, change is the first law, and is inevitable. Nothing stays the same.
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