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Live Better For Less Money In Thailand ! A Guide To Living, Retiring, Working and Doing Business in Thailand.  This EscapeArtist Special Report is intended for those readers who are seriously considering moving to Thailand for a prolonged period, or perhaps for the rest of their lives. The contents focus less upon the sort of information usually found in the popular tourist guides (hotels, restaurants, entertainment etc) and more upon the practical realities of moving to and successfully living in the Land of Smiles. Thailand is a wonderful place to live, but a move to the country is not without it’s attendant difficulties. This Report aims to help the reader to achieve a smooth transition to a new life in the Kingdom - Get The Details - Click Here -

I previously wrote for Escapeartist about my experience living in Thailand. Basically, the allure was the exotic tropical islands in the south and the lovely ladies that attracted me to visit on holiday. From there several underlying factors motivated me to consider relocating to Southeast Asia. The cost of living in Hawaii was one of them.  I suppose part of it too was a personal quest for exploring new musical horizons and the peace of mind found in ideals of a traditional Buddhist country. I also wanted to distance myself further from the fast paced rat race in exchange for free time to live, explore, and enjoy the simple things in life. Hawaii can certainly offer tranquility if one chooses the right location, and it does have ideal weather most of the time. I can’t say too much more other than it’s a nice place to visit, but for a heck of a lot less money, one can take an exotic trip of a lifetime to southern Thailand. Now, having had a little more time to explore this country, I’ll simply report why people like me come and choose to stay. There are in fact many expatriates from all over the world living in Thailand for various reasons. You’ll find Europeans who are the equivalent to North American and Canadian ‘snowbirds’, and simply want to find sunny days and starry nights and a peaceful affordable retreat from their freezing winters. For a large number of retirees living on fixed incomes, Thailand can be very attractive and affordable as well, if one chooses the right location and lifestyle. Not only is the exchange rate quite favorable for most expats, the cost of living, food, housing, and utilities, are about 10% of that in North America.

A vendor selling musical instruments in Bangkok.

The only ‘catch’ is probably the negative impact we westerners bring to Thai society. Traditionally, Thailand is a friendly neutral country, and has maintained an excellent reputation for it’s good natured people – often referred to as  “the land of smiles”, and it is in fact a friendly, safe, and low crime country, comparatively. The ladies are beautiful and plentiful as well. One good lady is all one needs, I might add. Thailand is the only south east Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power
 

But – introduce that almighty buck, satellite TV, western corporate chain stores, designer clothing clones, and hoards of foreigners seeking sex and opening beer bars to hang out, then you’ll better understand how this country is being transformed. That’s not necessarily the entire picture, but to a degree, we have brought some questionable influences and have certainly partly nurtured the ‘wild side’ of the young ladies in this culturally rich and traditionally peaceful Buddhist society. 

Let’s face it though, part of this must be attributed simply to ‘progress’, for better or worse. The Internet is widely used and the English language is being taught in public schools and private sectors as well. Business and industry are partnering and expanding and they are quite good at participating and competing in the global economy in numerous areas. Multinational corps like F_rd  and D_le have opened factories here and hired Thai labor for peanut wages compared to the wages they are required to pay at home. Shame on them for screwing everybody in the name of corporate profits, but such is life in the corporate world, I suppose.
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The progress enjoyed here in Thailand is not necessarily the case in neighboring countries such as Myanmar [Burma], Cambodia, and Laos. Once you get away from Bangkok and the main tourist areas such as Pattaya, and Phuket though, much of the western influence dissipates. That’s when you begin to experience the rich cultural diversity of the ethnic Thai people. The Thais are made up from several groups and have their internal hierarchy as all societies do.  The Chinese, having migrated to Thailand over generations have assumed the role of shopkeepers, businessmen, politicians, and they represent a significant power base in Thailand. Marriages to various ethnic Thais have also produced subsequent generations of Thai-Chinese nationals. One has to admit, they are hard workers and spend long hours for relatively small money, and some do quite well in business, no doubt. Officially, the Chinese population here is 14%. There are still pockets of the original Thais whom I find to be the most culturally diverse and traditional in native customs. They are undoubtedly the finest artisans, crafts people, and musicians. Part of my motivation personally was to learn about Southeast Asian music and art forms and their hand made instruments in particular. I’m not talking about anything related to pop music whatsoever, as it is equally bad as any prefabricated western pop. Unfortunately, the young people are basically told what to buy by the media and don’t know the difference between talent and a model disguised as a singer. Sound familiar?

I do respect the fact that they don’t want the rich of the world to come in here and buy up their country, although one can purchase property under certain limited circumstances. Some of the oddities you experience are items such as the regular Thai mode of family transportation, for example – the motorbike. It’s amazing to me that entire families of three, four or sometimes five people can pile onto a single 125cc motorbike to get around town and do their business. You’ll also see women driving with a baby in one arm and shifting and steering the motorbike with the other. There are those privileged enough to own automobiles as well, but this is generally the elite, as cars and insurance are quite expensive and considered a luxury in Thailand. Driving habits are less than desirable for me. I’d rather just walk, or take a motorbike taxi or minibus if have to go very far – but I did buy a scooter to cruise to town. It is a real challenge though. People drive on both sides of the road in both directions – sort of like how fish swim. The big no-no here is not wearing your helmet. This must be a source of general revenue for the local govt. I suppose, as it seems to be the only reason they stop motorists and check your registrations and ID at the same time, etc. It may not be the ideal place for some, but I’ve found Thailand to be a relatively laid back, inexpensive way of life most Americans only experience on a Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, I have no plans to return anytime soon. Today, I’m off to Ranong just north of Phuket Island to take a long tail boat to Burma for a visa renewal. Check out paradisemoon.com for more arts and cultural info. on Thailand and what’s happening in the world east-west music scene

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