First impressions after moving to Thailand

The first year it seemed like being on vacation.  We came in 2013 didn’t have a car for a year so stayed close to our condo. In 2014 we bought a new car paid way to much for it & had to pay cash because they don’t loan to you if your not working. This is when I start to realize how poorly Thailand deals with Expats. Instead of making use of there retirement money they make it impossible to even get a savings account with a credit card. They will allow a person who makes 10,000 baht a month to buy a new car on credit but they won’t allow a Expat who makes 100,000 baht a month retirement income. The banks don’t know how to use computers so everything is done on paper. After the first year I had culture shock for 2 years missing. My friends & family. Then we decided to go back & forth to California, then I started to settle down and enjoyed Thailand but still missing friendships. We haven’t had any luck finding friends in Thailand & the family stays to themselves except on special occasions. We can’t return because it to expensive for us to live there. Now with the Virus I feel lucky to be living in Thailand. I thought when we moved that the family would be closer to us & we would have fun together. We are used to having lots of friends around, now we have none. But it’s cheap for us to live here and we don’t budget our money. We like driving to Hua Hin and staying some place on the beach for a few nights. We are 68 & 72 years old both healthy & happy people. I was a Chef & my wife was a ICU nurse so our lives were very busy but every vacation we spent it in Thailand and 5 years before we retired we bought a new condo to have when we arrived to live in Nonthaburi Thailand. We tried to do everything right.  And here we are.

What was your main feeling when you arrived in Thailand?

I move to Thailand for the climate, As it make me be able to do thing like walking, bicycle & swimming like befor i got sick.

So i was very excited to start a live here, All so i was very positive about it all.
Here nearly 10 years later, I am still excited about my live here, Still positive, Even so i now know a lot about everything about Thailand, Thai people, The negative & positive about living here.

How has your state of mind changed over time?

Apparently i become even more relax about things, I found my self.
Well that what my Mom and other family members, And good Danish friends have told me over the years.


Have you called upon expatriate support associations? If so, what was their role in your local integration?

As i did NOT buy into the storys about how things is in Thailand, And what I have to do to live here, When i was here holiday before i move here, I did not see the point of it.
First time i have to Immigration i did ask, But both from the foreigner i got to know and the Danish forum i ask on, I got a wrong answer, So i learn to only trust my self, And find out everything my self, By contact what every office i was going to.

Is it easy to socialize in Thailand? What advice would you give to newcomers to meet people, make new friends and build a strong professional network there?

This is the easy part of coming here to live, Well i think it is.
Thai are so friendly as long as you behave, treat other with respect, And respect your self.

My advice for newcomers start by living away from others foreigner, Dont stay in foreigner ghettos, Sadly you getting the opinion from the foreigner living there, Even before you have experienced it your self, I sadly seeing this to many times.

Start by living with / among Thai, That way you learn from Thai about Thai, That have to be the best way, Well i think so.


I have only good experience with Thai, Cant say the same about experience with foreigner sadly.

I have to say i love it here, Find it so easy to fit in, So easy to get Thai to like me, Only have to be my self, That it.

I was happy to learn last year, That getting a car loan with a Bank in my name, Was super easy, And nearly cost nothing over the 5 years it run, In Denmark Car loan have a high interest, So that was something New i learn..

Well, That is of course my view of things here in Thailand, And dont mind if other see it different.

Kindly.

Hello, I would love to know how you went about getting a car loan on your own. Without a Thai person being involved.  Thanks.  Patrick

As you know i am Thai married, But all the talk was me and the bank.
Beside the talk to the car dealer.

Only when a few things was not 100% understand, My wife help out translate, To be sure it was correct. And no one misunderstand things.
Wife never ask to show her ID or house book, As the bank deal was with me and not her.

But the simple answer is, Go to the car dealer, Give them you infomation.
Car dealer tell you, That you need i think it was 15% you self (I choose to pay more then that), The rest can be a loan from a bank.
The car deal put all the infomation in a data base, That banks can look at.

Then Bank start calling you about loan.
When you find a good deal, You sign a contract.

Of cause, The bank want proof of your income, I use a letter from my Embassy.
And they want 6 month Thai Bank Account print out
Copy of pass port.
Copy of yellow book.

We have a foreigner living near us, He is single, And he all so got a loan the same way.
So you dont need a Thai person at all.

It is very simple and fast i have to say.

Kindly.

Thanks for the information.  Can I ask what bank gave you the loan?  We bought a car in 2014 did everything you just told me and they didn’t want to have anything to do with us because of our Age. My Thai wife of 35 years is a young 72 years old and am 68. In this country they expect you to drop dead after 60. In the US we could still qualify to buy a house. So we ended up paying cash.  We recently tried to get a credit card the banks said we would have to have 3 million baht in the bank to qualify for a card . So we had a family member open it for us.  Patrick

I send you a PM.

Good information, thank you.

Question for you.. I am perplexed at whether it is better to settle down in one of the many tourist islands/areas which will cost more money or live away the beach areas which I am guessing will be more cost effective.. Do you find that living in Nonthaburi and driving to the beach is a good choice or??

I thinking living in Hua Hin or Cha Am is a great choice. We live in Nonthaburi to be close to the family. If you do move here stay in touch. It’s not easy making friends here in Thailand.  Patrick