Moving and working in Thailand

[J012E]

Morning all,

My Dad has just been offered a permanent job in Bangkok, Thailand. He intends to stay there for 2-3 years if he does take up the offer. Does anyone on work there currently or previously worked there?

Anything he should be aware of? Locations to avoid? Tax implications (he will be paid in baht). Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ChasW]

Be helpful to know what he's going to be doing and whether he is going on his own. My Dad worked/lived there for 16 years in 70s and 80s. Although that's a while ago some things won't have changed. People are generally polite, friendly and welcoming. Traffic is bad. Summers can be quite sticky and unpleasant at times. It's possible to live quite cheaply but that is of course relative to your salary. It's also much more cosmopolitan now. At the time my folks were there the foreign community (farang is the local term for foreigner of European descent) was mostly Brits, Aussies and Americans. There are hordes of tourists passing through these days.

[anonymous-user]

Its OK now, 20 years ago was a big problem with English, I had to rely on my secretery to do anything. Biggest problem is traffic, find some where to live where you can walk to work, cars are expensive and importing one from the UK in near impossible. Rule number one is for the first 6 months never see the same girl twice, once you understand things a bit yo can see them twice if you want. Im am serious about this, I gave this advice to some one who posts on here and he told me some years latter it was the best advice he ever had.
Tax wise pay some one to file for you, PW charge me 400 pound a year to file in SE Asia. Being paid in Baht may be aproblem if you have UK expenses, it is not moving up any time sone, but just get the pay right when you start.

[ChasW]

I deliberately did not mention girls. Check the Adam's Apple first!

[J012E]

Thanks for the replies,

My dad is an engineer and will be heading up an aerospace manufacturing type firm (not exactly sure what he does). He will be given an apartment in central Bangkok (apparently) and it's a 20 min drive out to the office/factory (so he's told). He's been given a car so won't have to export or buy one.

The company have said they'll pay for an accountant to get him the lowest tax rate but I said pay for someone himself as he may not be able to trust the company at first.

I'll tell him about the girls but my mum intends on going out with him so not sure it'll be relevant?!

They've just told him last night that they are going to fly him out for a few days to see if he likes it and go through contracts etc so hopefully that will answer a lot of questions.

[slow_poke]

Thais are complete bds. Get his own lawyer to check paperwork before signing, and get paid in dollars or pounds.

[amusingduck]

Berw said:

Rule number one is for the first 6 months never see the same girl twice, once you understand things a bit yo can see them twice if you want. Im am serious about this, I gave this advice to some one who posts on here and he told me some years latter it was the best advice he ever had.

Interesting, why's that?

[sooperscoop]

amusingduck said:

Berw said:

Rule number one is for the first 6 months never see the same girl twice, once you understand things a bit yo can see them twice if you want. Im am serious about this, I gave this advice to some one who posts on here and he told me some years latter it was the best advice he ever had.

Interesting, why's that?

Probably because relationship dynamics are very different in Asia, it's less about puppies and lovehearts and more a mutually beneficial type-thing. I'm not saying couples aren't in love, but there's a layer of pragmatism involved that is less prevalent in the West, and this is especially true in mixed race relationships. Throw in that an average Asian girl under 30 is hot as balls by UK standards, will probably dote on you in an endearing way, and it's easy to find yourself in a situation you didn't plan at all.

Anyone who's spent time is Asia has met guys who came over and within a year were hitched to a cute girl who then gets mysteriously knocked-up, and finds themselves hitched not just to the girl but her whole family, and the motherin-law needs a new apartment, cousin Chen needs a new bicycle for school, second cousin needs an operation etc etc.

And they also do a whole 'nother level of crazy

Source: lives in Asia and has really bad yellow fever

[ChasW]

sooperscoop said:

Probably because relationship dynamics are very different in Asia, it's less about puppies and lovehearts and more a mutually beneficial type-thing. I'm not saying couples aren't in love, but there's a layer of pragmatism involved that is less prevalent in the West, and this is especially true in mixed race relationships. Throw in that an average Asian girl under 30 is hot as balls by UK standards, will probably dote on you in an endearing way, and it's easy to find yourself in a situation you didn't plan at all.

Anyone who's spent time is Asia has met guys who came over and within a year were hitched to a cute girl who then gets mysteriously knocked-up, and finds themselves hitched not just to the girl but her whole family, and the motherin-law needs a new apartment, cousin Chen needs a new bicycle for school, second cousin needs an operation etc etc.

And they also do a whole 'nother level of crazy

Source: lives in Asia and has really bad yellow fever

Harsh as it sounds the advice is spot on. We used to see this scenario quite often.

[ruggedscotty]

Go do your job and don't get sucked into the relationship way - it can work but more than not its a benefit thing and you are seen as a walking wallet. Have as few good friends out there that ended up in long term relationships - all of them have admitted that if they had the time over again they wouldn't have gotten hitched.

Also the police are as corrupt as anything - stopped for speeding on the toll road - we were not. argued next thing drugs found in boot and we all brick it - had to pay a fee to make it go away.

Its a hugely different country and they have some weird ways. But its worth going and seeing it - land of smiles it is.

[ChasW]

Forgot to mention corruption. My Dad fired a local for embezzling. Very shortly after he received death threats and had to be guarded at night with regular police patrols outside our house.

[jshell]

ChasW said:

sooperscoop said:

Probably because relationship dynamics are very different in Asia, it's less about puppies and lovehearts and more a mutually beneficial type-thing. I'm not saying couples aren't in love, but there's a layer of pragmatism involved that is less prevalent in the West, and this is especially true in mixed race relationships. Throw in that an average Asian girl under 30 is hot as balls by UK standards, will probably dote on you in an endearing way, and it's easy to find yourself in a situation you didn't plan at all.

Anyone who's spent time is Asia has met guys who came over and within a year were hitched to a cute girl who then gets mysteriously knocked-up, and finds themselves hitched not just to the girl but her whole family, and the motherin-law needs a new apartment, cousin Chen needs a new bicycle for school, second cousin needs an operation etc etc.

And they also do a whole 'nother level of crazy

Source: lives in Asia and has really bad yellow fever

Harsh as it sounds the advice is spot on. We used to see this scenario quite often.

Same advice stands for many, many locations from Russia to Sub-Saharan Africa and on to South America.

[Grumfutock]

Anything to be aware of? Hell yes. beautiful women that turn out not to be.

I was very drunk!