Knocking The Homeland
I haven't sent in a submission in 3 years now! Stick contacted me inquiring if I have been keeping in touch and logging on his site and I've been guilty as I can only glance at it once a month at best. Unfortunately it is tax time in America
and nothing takes your mind off the taxing work of preparing your taxes than getting sidetracked with Stick's site reading submissions! I forgot how much fun that was.
Back in 2005 after living in Thailand for a year and finally feeling guilty of the shenanigans, I opted to live in with a Thai girl. Which led to a fiancé visa and then to her coming to America and never wanting to leave to go back to
Thailand! We are a match made in heaven as we knew each other well before her coming here as we lived together in Bangkok so there was no such culture shock for her! Our being 23 years apart does not bother any of my friends either as they met
her during their visits in the land of smiles.
Anyway before you start reading another submission as this rambling is starting to get boring, I would like to just say I am about to give you the perspective of a Thai woman living in America! She moved here in July 2006!
First of all, thank goodness for the Internet! She is on it 10 plus hours a day (just like Stick) and has a Thai keyboard and never gets bored! She speaks Thai 80% of the time and so her English has barely improved, yet she loves it here!
Why? Let me tell you the many ways she loves it here!
1. It is cleaner than Thailand!
2. Everything is just easier in terms of convenience. We have a car (unlike Bangkok taxi cabs). Supermarkets are open 24 hours a day (we live in Las Vegas) and you can buy anything you want under the sun!
3. Thai supermarkets definitely! They have all the noodles you can handle!
4. Washing machine & dryer, dishwasher. Refrigerator with automatic water and ice dispenser! All of it WORKING!
5. Jacuzzi.
6. Faster Internet speeds that
don't break down!
7. Better restaurants.
8. Direct TV with 699 channels to choose from!
What is wild about her is that she is not even aware that Nevada is ranked number 1 in America in terms of crime! A dubious honor yet she finds this place safer than Thailand.
I forgot about all the conveniences America has to offer as I was staying in hotels mostly in Thailand until we moved to an apartment and then I started missing America! Especially when things started breaking and the landlord takes forever
to do a thing about it!
We have met many Thais here – neighbors, waitresses and casino workers and a vast majority of them prefer it here to Thailand! Upon further inquiry, it basically boils down to money and opportunities. The young ones, meaning under 30, just
love the opportunity to better themselves that they never got the chance back in Thailand. You can get a decent job even if you don't have the college degree. I met a young Thai casino dealer and she can barely speak English but she says
she never dreamed she would be making over a million baht per year with a 7th grade education back in Korat! A casino dealer on the Strip makes about $65,000 per year! That is with a base pay of $5.85 an hour! They make huge tips! Even with the
cost of living being higher here, they love the independence they get. They make enough money and still have plenty to send back home to put their siblings through school and then petition them to come here as well. Basically the only Thais we
met who don't care for it in America are the rich Thais who are spoiled and want to come back home to Thailand and their rich ways. Here everyone is equal! They don't like that!
Strangely, we have not met anyone who is actually married to an American, probably because we met them at work!
Me, I miss my Thai, foot and oil massages. I actually do not recommend or advocate living in Thailand if you are no longer single, especially if you are like me a natural friendly person who gets accused of being just a flirt! My last few
months living in Thailand was agonizing as I realize how much I had to pull back from flirting and collecting phone numbers.
I have done my share of the bars and womanizing and don't miss it for one bit and though we are coming back to Thailand next month. My only intention is to get her wisdom teeth pulled and then we are off to other places SCUBA diving
together. Oh I forgot, we have to go back to Chum Phae so she can explain to her parents why she hasn't sent them any money!
Oh yes, my wife only wants to move back to Thailand if she can save enough money here and start her own Internet shop back in either Khon Kaen or Korat near the university! She says she would need 750,000 baht to start! <You could start one for less than 1/4 of that! – Stick>
Us farangs have it easy here when you have a Thai significant other that is working out and I confess if it wasn't for my Thai soul mate, I would be probably back in Thailand doing the same stuff half of Stick's readers are doing!
Oh yes, there is one thing I cannot stand about America! The hustle and bustle of a career and trying to make ends meet all the time. In short, reality!
Stickman's thoughts:
I loved what you said about the wealthier Thais being less keen on the States. Yes, it is a great leveller! It is also interesting that your wife would be happy to move back if she had the money. I wonder if there are any Thais who have hit the jackpot in the West and still don't want to return?
