Retirement In Thailand

I have a different opinion about Thailand and the Thais, based on a year living and working there.

what are your thoughts beppi?

Wow, three months after I posted it, my post is getting attention!
I lived in 7 countries for over a year each (plus shorter stints in a number of others) and always tried to understand the locals and get close to them. My curiousity about different ways of life is what makes me enjoy the "nomadic" lifestyle of an international project manager. But only in Japan and Thailand did I basically fail with this approach: The locals were not interested in me and didn't let me participate in their lives.
My explanation (which might be wrong) is that Thai society is very inward-looking, hierarchical and status oriented - a system which we Farangs don't fit in and won't understand.
Those Thais dealing with Farangs are either business-oriented (and often see them as "wallets on legs") or themselves ousiders in the Thai society - for example almost all Pattaya bar girls or other Thai "beauties" seeking Western men are from the rural population in the North-East and get looked down on by Bangkokers (no respectable Thai woman would look for anything other than a Thai man!).
Since I wasn't interested in cheap girls, didn't manage to befriend "normal" Thais (even from my workplace) and had nothing in common with most other Farangs (who seem to need only cheap sex and beer), I chose to hang out with Asian foreigners (who, interestingly, felt the same about the Thais as me) and eventually shared a house in the Bangkok suburbs with a Chinese and a Malaysian. But for this, I felt, I didn't need to move to Thailand!
Apart from that, Bangkok is too big, noisy, dirty for my taste. I prefer a simpler, quieter lifestyle and liked Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia (except Jakarta) much better.

mmmmmm interesting thoughts, I do agree that the Thais look at falangs like we have to heads.  But, I dont pick my nose in public all the time, lol.

There is a segment of Thai society that is somewhat to your assessment. There is the structure that you refer to. There is also a wide range of big hearted Thai people who are loving, caring, and giving. One example, that is somewhat common, is that if there is any kind of accident let's say a minor fall in a store or with a motor bike several Thai's will rush over to help in any way they can. When you meet the real Thai people you will find beautiful people. Even with that said people are still people. One Thai friend's brother in law hates Americans because he hates Americans. So be it, we don't talk.

Just a simple interjection.

Yes, people can be rude anywhere.  I have experienced both when I was there, the very worst to the very best.   Can't be ruder then the average American these day, with some exceptions.