I am on my fourth year in the Land of Smiles. Sometimes
I get the urge to return to the USA and get some government
job to collect a pension. Has anyone returned after being
an expat? What was the result? Should I stay or should I
go?
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should I go now? If I stay there will be trouble, If I go
there will be double, should i stay or should i go now,
should i stay or should i go now, should i stay or should i
go now!
No, seriously were you in Susies bar in Khao san rd the
other week? I'm sure i got chatting to some TEFL'er (Pimp)
who had the same dilemma.
I have two years in Taipei; I have a friend with 7 years in
Hanoi, and 2 more in Taipei. I am starting to share your
feelings. But I know that if I go back to Canada, I will
suffer the opposite problem. Should I go back? We should
chat sometime. I think it helps to vent; and the expat
circle here is getting smaller and smaller as time goes
on....of course it was always the same size...but you know
what I mean.
By the way; what is Khao San Rd. like these days. I was
there in 1991; and I was wondering because I recently
visited Saigon and Pham Ngu Lao looks like Khao San Rd. did
then....of course Pham Ngu Lao looked like a "re-educated"
refugee's skid row in 1991. So, what commercialization has
over taken the tourist ghetto of Bangkok?
there will be trouble. If you go there will be double.
Won't be easy adjusting once back home. No two ways about
it. Once back you'll keep asking yourself why you left the
Land of Smiles. However, if you stay......fine now but as
you get older and older. no pension with a USA
company.....no experience working in the USA......not an
easy choice. This is the classic ex-pat dilemma. Good
luck.
i've got the same problem in reverse shall i give up a good
job in london with pension etc or move up lock stock and
barrel to thailand for that quality way of life...
If you've been in Thailand 4 years and still think it's the
Land of Smiles, I suggest you check yourself in for a long
way at a psychiatric clinic.
If you've been in Thailand 4 years and still think it's the
Land of Smiles, I suggest you check yourself in for a long
stay at a psychiatric clinic.
Yikes, Anti-Thai! Have you spent too long a time in Krung-
Thep? That place will wear anybody down.
As for Expat Rat, well, gee. I don't know. Tough decision,
that. Thailand can be such a beguiling place once a person
gets to grips with the country. Sure, Thailand has loads of
problems, but name me a nation that doesn't. In my humble
opinion Thailand can get on a person's nerves, but at the
end of the day, if you are able to shrug off the problems
of idiot drivers, a government run by crime bosses, and all
too frequent scam-meisters, you got to admit that the food,
the weather, the beer (really!) and the attractive people
beats the hell out of a boring government job in the USA.
But, then again, someday having a pension is a pretty
attractive idea...
My only advice? As a million bar-girls would say, "Up to
you..."
That is your question...
Many expats have tourneyed the same road you're going to
take. Some managed to totally cut the tie and keep only some
tacky mementos to remind them of the 'good old days' in the
'land of fragrance and sunshine'. Some never emerged from
the withdrawal systoms they wallowed in the rest of their
unhappy life. The best of both worlds can't be had by all.
You take some and then you have to give some. Or even more
so. A close friend of mine left a cushy job at A.I.T. to go back to
his teaching job at RISD (to get away from a bunch of too
brilliant engineering students to another likeminded bunch -)
The tones of his e-mail the first year was very doubtful - total
confusion for the way of life in small town USA no matter how
academic and his feelings of being an alien in his own
neighbourhood. I've done my best to lure him back as his wife
is my best friend. The catch here is the Thai wife can cut the
tie from Thailand and sesttle down perfectly alright in the east
coast -
another side of the expat coin. After a while the husband
settles in too. Now they are here just for 'home leave' and
seem to live happily ever after.
Talk to your wife seriously. If she agrees to move and live
wherever you plan to go and thinks she can be happy there.
Then decide. Government pension no matter generous
should not be compensated for the trouble in the homefront.
If you decide to go, send me an e-mail and come on over to my
place for a drink. This is only for expat who plans to leave
town!
Life decisions are not easy. Pick the path that is right
for you. Society will say... you would be better off
returning to the US and resuming your career path. I have
know some people who measure life by how much money they
have in the bank. With the US economy booming, if this is
your need, return to the states. Others have done peace
keeping work and vollenteer work throught the world. They
have no posessions and I am sure when they die with only
the clothes on there back, they will not have any regrets
and will die with a smile on there face. How do you measure
happiness. If a career is important to you then return. If
your Thai work is satisfying and not a dead end job and you
are truly happy, stay.
then sort it out in thailand. there's loads of people that
can sort you out with good quality tax free pensions. come
on now son, let's not be getting to silly about this. can't
you remember the cold that cuts to the core, the cold rain,
and it gets worse as you move north out of florida.
Dear Expat:
On behalf of the U.S. State Department, we would love to
have you back with us. You are clearly a highly ambitious,
principaled and practical individual. I can offer you a
position in our Washington DC office at an annual salary of
$130,000. We will be happy to provide you with a housing
allowance and of course would arrange to cover your
relocation expenses back to the U.S. Our pension plan is
considered very generous. You will eligible for full
retirement benefits, providing you 80% of your salary for
life after 2 years of employment. I think your
considerable accomplishments in life will greatly benefit
the American people. Come on back, we will take care of
you.
Ray Konnerly,
Dir., Recruiting, U.S. State Dept. SEA
I went back to the States after 15 years in Thailand and
kicked myself for it every day. I cried when I left, as
has every one of my friends. Soon as the plane took off from
Don Muang, I knew I'd buggered up royally. Don't believe the
BS about the great US economy right now. I have an MA and
years of experience -- can teach, write and edit, have 4
books to my credit -- but could never find a really decent
job. Part of it was the Affirmative Action bit. (Okay, I'm
white and male -- but that ain't my fault. And I am a VN
vet, served in the Peace Corps and did the other things that
Jack Kennedy told me I should do for my country. So why do I
have to watch as less qualified people get the jobs I can do
and then get promoted faster because of their race and
gender? But enough grumbling. The world ain't perfect.)
Expect to hear those wonderful words, "I'm sorry but you're
overqualified." How the hell can anyone be OVER-qualified?
Should I ask them what they expect and offer to lower myself
to their standards? Should I tell them I'll screw around and
do a halfassed job for them? Fact is most Americans are
working more than one job just to get by. Senior citizens
are working because their pension isn't enough. Plus you'll
find yourself a duck out of water. People stare at you when
you unthinkingly speak Thai to yourself. And the food turned
me off. It's mainly fried and too damn much of it. Expect to
put on about 20 pounds. Plus American beer tastes like horse
piss (though the bourbon is great). Not to mention American
women ... but I'd better shut up about that. Lots of
American gals could beat me at arm wrestling and look as
feminine as Hulk Hogan. (Now pardon me while I dodge the
stones that I KNOW are coming my way.)
But if your a VN vet then you are not a young buck; so what
do you expect. I was "black listed" in Canada just for
being in my thirties. The ultimate question..."You have
excellent educational credentials; but why did you spend
your entire twenties working in hotels?"....what could I
say?
The real answer would definitely get me no where...."I was
having fun...I was a party girl...I liked rich older men,
travelling, and gangsters...you are only young once!" As
the Russians and Poles say in translation "Dat's the
life." I like that extra article. So, if you don't
conform to the main stream in your youth; they will kick
you in the ass for it...when you are older. I won't blame
it all on affirmative action and ball-busting woman.
And what is it with every white guy in Asia having a thing
against a woman with some tits and ass? Really! If we are
not human sticks, we are hideous!
better to be farang here than farang in the USA.
snow
taxes
no sticky rice :-(((
Well, I want both. Right now I am working and struggling,
and saving like a skinflint to be able to retire young and
move to Thailand. 15 visits convinced me, actually was
sure after 1st one, that Thailand was for me. The booming
economy and thrift will hopefully get me to where I want to
be. And yes, that Gov't pension will be nice someday.
After many years in Vietnam where I also developed a missus and a kid, I'm back "home" due to lack
of jobs down there. Even if I had days when I would be happy to blow up the entire Saigon, I'm now
sitting here, cold turkey, cursing the Asian economy regression.
I'm having trouble with life after work, the weather, traffic, that you have to ride a couple of
miles for a pack of cigarettes, fast food only at Mac & Co, etc, etc, etc. So, reading this was kind of
comforting.
If it's like Alan W says; stay and arrange your retirement where you are. I would give my right
arm to be able to do that.
Isn't there any industrious guy that can set-up a web-site about this shit??????
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...I know just what you mean...that's why I pass through
this BB. I want to stay in Asia; but I always wonder if it
is a bad choice in the long run....and then there are the
other usual conflicts of being an expat.....I agree with
your idea 100%...if you find something leave a message for
me!! Oh by the way, I will be in Nhatrang for a week in
July; any messages that you would like me to leave for you?
Thanks, but no need to forward any message. I don't know a soul in Nha Trang, and I will fly down
for 5 days in Sai Gon next week myself (all locals and foreigners down there are hereby dutifully
forewarned).
But you can always tell people about the guy that came into the bar and ordered 5 shots of
Jagermeister.......
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