Chris, it occurs to me that you are like a life coach. Your advice and positivity can help people live better lives no matter where they are, man. It all comes down to a mindset. Appreciate you, brother.
As Thai people or permanent residents of Thailand pay taxes, of course we expect to pay local entrance fees. In fact many cultural and historical attractions are free for local people to encourage Thai people, especially kids to learn more about Thai culture. I believe foreign visitor rates are still reasonable and necessary to help maintain historical sites.
Exactly! Westerners often forget how blessed we are (financially) in comparison to those in other countries such as Thailand. We pay a heavy price living in places like America, but then we can reap the rewards of low cost living in SE Asia. It's a blessing to be able to save money, so there's no need to begrudge a few dollars to Thailand for an entrance fee. Don't stress about it, share the wealth a bit, and enjoy the moment.
Everything is so cheap here, like paying that little bit more even matters. I'm eating at mom and pop places for $2-$3 and getting rides for the same. Sometimes I let them keep the few extra baht change and they really appreciate it. They don't earn very much.
Except Thai government changed tax laws kicking in in 2024 that tax all foreign income (potentially) no matter when it was earned for EVERYBODY (citizen or foreign) that lived in Thailand for > 6 months out of the year. This needs to be carefully watched to how strictly it is enforced for foreign folks living on 1yr VISAs
Chris, I LOVE and AGREE with everything you said !!! After living in Bali for many years (living in Australia again now) I have seen EVERYTHING you just said. !!! What a lot of people forget is that we are a GUEST in the country; services, food, wait times, protocols, cultures are different. Accept it and you will LOVE it !!! Fight it and you will make your time FAR LESS ENJOYABLE. EMBRACE your opportunity and you will LOVE EVERY MINUTE!!!! I can honestly say I now have 2 homes BOTH of which I L O V E!!! Karen
I loved your comment, “that’s the awesome thing about Thailand, you can find solutions for almost every problem you might encounter, it’s an awesome thing about living here”. I laughed out loud. Very true. You just need to know someone, and as you said, and be generous when needed.
I love #2. You are so right. You're already saving $ by being there. But there is a middle ground. Give them their share. They earn it a couple times over. BALANCE is the key to life. Probably more so in Thailand. I look to return in February and can't wait to 'start balancing' things for years to come.
Chris I watch all your videos. This one was excellent. They’re all great info and entertainment but this has really good advice for Thailand, or anywhere. Be positive. I had prostate cancer. At least I didn’t have terminal brain cancer! Find the positive in everything. It’s your choice. 16 months and I’m retiring to Hua Hin. At 56! Los Angeles to Hua Hin. The rat race to a life of leisure. ✌🏻❤️
Hey Chris, thanks for all the great advice. I just arrived in Bangkok, and I will be retiring in Pattaya. In my formative years, I grew up in Asia and always knew I would be back. The dream starts now, the beach is calling. All the best.
Your talks are always positive Chris.For those of us who are finding the transition to retirement very difficult.Your a breath of fresh air.Always good advice,keep up the positiveness it is helping many of us to come up with a good decision.
Currently living in the Philippines and #5 is by far the most important anywhere in SE Asia. Finding that balance combining proper physical and mental health with all the extracurricular activities is vital to anyone's success or failure. Great videos Chris 👍
i think founding friends we all need some social life, belonging to a group,, have good neighbors,, talking to people , have some connection, belonging ,,, its a totally different lifestyle ..You got your family which is a good start... lots of people starting over at 50 if there is no partner, no friends ,language berries. It can be hard
I also absolutely support to dual pricing model. The ones who complain about it forget the income difference between "us and them". Thailand is a gorgeous country and I'm happy to support every park, temple, etc. and help make it affordable for the Thai people who welcome us the way they do.
Thanks brother! Much love and respect for you putting these videos and communities together. You have a great mindset/ outlook on life and made many great points in this video. Found you recently and almost binged EVERYTHING you’ve made in Thailand already 😂
I do have a question for you.. the tax interpretation is a bit disconcerting BUT I’m solution based and already thinking of ways to get around It. Can i buy a home without residency? Assuming i had. Friends fam or community to utilize the home when i was away is this an option for non citizens to own and essentially “rent” to others from time to time?
Great advice I am going on my second month here in Thailand and the visa extension was a little perplexing but the immigration office we used was really helpful. Patience is key to it all. Also the generosity you talked about means a lot especially to small villages. I have always tried buying from the locals to help them out. Thanks for your great informative videos.
We had about 4 or 5 pages of forms to fill out which are in English and Thai some were only a few lines that you filled in. The only thing that was interesting was a point of contact if something were to happen to you if you have one, we fortunately have family here. They want to know where you are staying so you will need the Thai address or hotel if you are staying in one. Our process took a couple of hours which is not too bad. The people in the Chaiyaphum office were of great help. It was 1900 Baht to extend. I would recommend going as soon as they open because they got a lot of people coming in after we had got there making the wait time longer. Patients and politeness go a long way @@joelkaben
Great content Chris, I visited Thailand for the first time in January. Best vacation I have ever taken such an incredible cultural experience coming back home was tough. There are nights that I can’t fall asleep because I can’t get my mind off of Thailand, finding your channel has been a blessing. I appreciate what you’re doing, and all of your videos and content for that matter keep them coming brother.
Hey Chris. Kevin from Kitchener/Toronto here. Great advice about taxis and how to handle a situation where they aren’t using the meter. What an awesome and positive approach to handling that. Love it! Thanks!
Great video Chris. My girlfriend and I are addicted to Thailand. Live in Japan and when I get back here, I’m already planning my next trip. Try to always have a positive outlook when I go to Thailand and not to be such a cheap ass when it comes to tipping, etc. Like you said, the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers are out to make a baht and will try to get what they can out of you. Just have a good outlook and go with the flow. I try to keep in mind that the average Thai salary isn’t very high and just a little bit can go far. As a result, we have thai friends that we see when we visit thailand. Looking forward to our next visit.
Sounds like a great time, thanks for painting a realistic picture. I have never been to Thailand but I hope to come someday. I'm a retired US Navy man looking for some fun locations to visit.
This is one of the best videos I’ve seen, not only about Thailand but approaching life in general. I absolutely love the suggestion about generosity in regards to the Thai people in appreciation of the incredible country and lifestyle they allow us to share in. Couldn’t agree more! I also appreciate the part about the curveballs. I am planning to move when my son graduates in May and I do fear some roadblocks will arise. So being intentional about my path regardless will be crucial thank you for so much wonderful content 🙏🏼🩷
Chris you should do a video about cultural no-no's. Things like touching people's heads using feet to point, elevating the feet in a Thai person's direction, disgracing elders, and that kind of thing. I have known people who's visit and/or stay was turned to a nightmare because they violated cultural norms.
Chris I will say the same thing as I’ve said in all your videos. You are medicinal man. You are a brilliant human not just an excellent ambassador of Thailand but your advice applies to any country. I suffer from anxiety and you funky videos base me. Please keep you videos coming from the serious to the funky as you say Much love to you and hailey
Chris....this was 'fantabulous'. And very timely for me. Chiang Mai will be joining each other for a very fruitful life together, beginning on 02 February. Retirement...here I come. Watch out. Thank you so much.
Absolute great advice on all of these Chris. I was one who commented on the tax issue and about having second thoughts however it was a knee jerk reaction and on reflection it wont make a difference and yes there are always ways of making things work. One thing I know for sure everything always works out in the end. Se you soon in 2024
Thank you very much Chris! I totaly agree with you. I am travelling to Thailand since almost 40 years started in 1987 and I am deep in the Thai culture and living. You nailed it! Kop khun mak krap🙏
Ciao Chris 😎 Just did the month of December there 🇹🇭 Now coming back in March🌴 I really loved Queen Sirikit park for my walks 🌴 Love Bangkok, can't wait to explore more! Keep up the great work 👏🏻
Thank you Chris for your love of Thailand. You are like a Thai ambassador. But every country has its own dark side and good side. Hope you are happy in Thailand.😊🙏
Tip trick for me as Thai person 0 bath - your service just meh 20 baths - i'm appreciate your service 40-50 baths - wowwww your service was great, lov it // or sometimes they are so busy that they cannot give a good service, just to cheer them up.
I no longer have any issue with the dual pricing. Its great if the funds to better support the tourists via signage or multilingual guides. But tourist or non-resident markup is the norm in many western countries. Especially, in cities that have a lot of tourism. (example, look at your Las Vegas hotel bill, or having to pay a little more at the local community pool when you don't live there)
Hi Chris... I'm from Toronto too and about to embark on a Thailand adventure to meet my GF of 2-years! - After that, and if all goes well, I will be retiring there... You have been instrumental in my slow progression toward making the move. Thank you so much for your tutelage and confidence-building videos.. Hope to meet you some day. I can feel your love for Thailand. I have been borrowing it until I get there. I'm convinced I will spend the remaining third of my life in sheer bliss... Thank you for showing me the path! ... Should I bring you a Coffee Crisp or Arrow bar? Lol.
Thanks for all the great advice. While I plan to move there in two years, I will make my first visit in May. I am excited to visit and am working on dialing in my trip! When I am ready for the move, I hope I can use your services to help make the move smooth. Thanks again for all the valuable information. Kent
Hi Chris. I can only say thank you for all your support and guidance. Thanks professor Parker.( not joking) i really appreciate your work. Moved to Thailand not long ago and I really believe that if we will follow your path, we are going to be ok. The tax issues are not clear at the moment, and I hope that you’ll inform us. Anyway, I am working on what I call “THAI BALANCE POSITIVE ATTITUDE” and I hope I’ll be fine. Thanks Bro.
Good stuff Chris. I'm about to cement my love of Thailand with a humble old condo in west Bangkok. Keep the positives to the fore. Smile and be patient. Trying to learn the lingo is so far the challenge for my old brain 😁
Hey Chriss , I'm still here in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec , working to sell almost everything i own to make my move to paradise. Watching your videos on both channels convinced me.
@scambodia147 If you own a property in your country, rent it out & rent in Thailand. This is what I will do when I'm ready to make the move. I can always come back to my country to live. I have been to Thailand countless times & want to try living there, I love the country but don't know what it would be like to live there. Things can change over time, political instability, etc.
@@tingtong5898 Thanks for your opinion , i do own 2 houses , nine years ago i owned a few 4 plex and sold them all to start trading the stock market . It hasn't been a smooth ride and I wanted to quit many times after losing the price of luxury cars , but today i'm happy that i persevered . The sale of my 2 houses which are both being renovated will increase the portfolio i play with. Don't worry about me , i even have a beautiful Thai girlfriend for over one year . I will be living full time in Thailand in a couple years.
My best-life-seeking compadre... I found you a while back and continue to return to your videos, but somehow haven't subscribed until just now. This video is more common sense delivered in such a carefree way without the nauseating "millennial speak" that is common with Tubers. Thank you for more inspiration!
You definitely have the right mentality Chris. I first came to Thailand with a group of other college grads. 95% of them are just complaining and comparing it to the USA. I was just happy to be there and learn about a new culture. Glad those people don't stay long :)
Thanks Chris for another great video. I get so excited watching your vids knowing what I have to look forward to once I'm ready to make the move. Few more years of working my butt off then it's gonna be Thailand loving for my golden years!
I love your attitute and thank you for understanding Thai. I saw some youtuber tried to bargain too cheap like they tried to rip Thai off and very rude about it.
Chris, a lot of people simply have a bad attitude, or as you say, don't focus on the negatives, for there are negatives anywhere in the world. Love your Chanel by the way - Thank you.
Very good advice. Thanks for the video. I am French and used to work in Thailand during 7 years at the end of the 90"s until 2001. After several years in Thailand, it is true that I had a tendency to see negative aspects of living in Thailand and forget the good ones. When you are back in your country, you realize what you have lost... I hope to retire in Thailand in about 2 or 3 years. I will definitely see only the good sides of Thailand during my retirement (will help to live older anyway)...
Love yr videos snd yr thai life advice you are positive and full of energy, i live my life in foreign countries most of life, watch up the visa requirements and expiration date are very important matters
Such a positive mindset :) I am sometimes thinking about moving to Thailand too sometime because Thailand became my favorite country when I had a holiday there a few years ago.
😎👍🇺🇲(subscribed) Great food for thought. It's on my list of places to visit. I've only traveled twice to the peens. Hope to go again this fall. Thailand is on the list as soon as I feel comfortable traveling completely solo. Retirement is in a few years. It's time to seek new lands and start making plans. 😎 Cheers from Fluffy in the PNW Seattle WA USA area.✌️
Cheers Chris...besides the fact that #5 is my challenge, I would like to add a #6 : don't choose a bad location for your way of life ;-) My plan is to move part time, not full time, a year,...and my next trips are for choosing the good place for me.
Should've named the video "Don't act like a Western Karen in Thailand." I like this channel more than your main one just based off of the direct info. There's no BS here and I appreciate that. 🙏
Thank you so much for all these inspiring words, Chris. Thailand has light and dark. Like life itself. We decide which one we want to focus on and channel our energy through. And I think this magical land has a powerful vibration which creates reality around us acording to the thoughts we choose.
I cannot wait to move to Thailand. The first time I went there I was in the US Navy in the mid '80s. We pulled into Pattaya, and I remember there not being a pier where we landed, so we had to wade into shore in waist deep water, holding all of our stuff over our heads. I remember clearly as I waded, I felt like my soul was being cleansed. I know that sounds weird, but when we hit the shore, I had such an overwhelming feeling like I was 'home', I've never forgot, and always knew this was going to be my home. Your videos have helped in ways you can't even imagine. I would have made so many mistakes moving there without the knowledge you have provided. Thank you so much for all you have done. I surely hope we can get together in the future and share a beer. My plan is Koh Samui...there is just something about the island vibe that resonates with me. Peace and love to you and yours, and hope to meet you someday :) 555
I would like to comment about the Dual Pricing. Some foreigners are working at places like the University System and are being paid Thai wages. The problem is that they cannot afford to go to the National Park and pay 4 times as much for their families because they are living on Thai wages. Now, if you are some rich foreigner, like yourself, who comes over and have tons of money, it is no big deal. There are even some rich missionary people who are supported by the rich people in their rich country - so they buy new cars and live in fancy apartments in Thailand. So what do these young families who are working on Thai wages do? They don't go to the National Parks. They swim in the rivers and in the sea and enjoy themselves. But they do feel bad that they do not have enough money to do what their Thai friends are doing. And sometimes they do get tired of being used or feel taken advantage of when they get somewhere and the prices are quadrupled because they are seen as rich foreigners. I personally am a rich American and I take these poor families out and treat them. And I also want to say, it was on the backs of poor Thais ancestors that much of the beautiful Thailand was built on, so really, it is their National Park. And we love our time in Thailand and are not complaining about whatever. Personally, the lovely smiling people and wonderful seafood restaurants, and markets of fresh fruits and vegetables with friendly farmers, and the waving families as I ride my bike in their neighborhoods make me feel sooooo welcome. And I love them too. Thailand is just lovely. And it is warm, unlike the cold wet winters where we have just come from. I can hardly wait to buy tons of bananas and fried chicken and freshly picked pineapples and cold beer (hoping I am at the market at the correct time). We'll be there in 21 days!!!! :)
Great video Chris I have been coming here for over 20 years & finally working out to be here full time this year I really hope to meet up with you & find a great bunch of people to hang out with Good job Trevor from Brisbane Australia Catch up soon
Thanks God Thai have Chris here in Thailand. Thanks God Chris love Thailand. Thanks Chris to give me the suggestion. You give me a good thought even I’m Thai. Wish you are happy surrounding with the good people. You do a lot of good thing for Thailand. Cheers. 🍺👍🥰🙏🏻🤗
As someone who has lived in BKK for almost 20 years, these are very good advice. 1. Haggling - Haggling culture in Thailand changed a lot. Most shops dont do it anymore. Not just foreigners, but the Thais as well. You want to avoid 1000 baht tuk tuk scams, but if you try to buy some 200 baht souvenirs, they most likely sell that to the locals as well. And most if not all of my Thai friends have encountered taxi scams before. It's not limited to foreigners. They are aware of it, they want to change it, but it is not so simple. 2. Double price standard - think of it like having to hire staff that can speak English, they cost more. 3. Tips - 20-40 baht in general is good enough. if the bill is big you can give like 100, which mostly cover anything. 4. Negative stuff - Every aspect of negative stuff, the Thais are aware. Nobody likes to hear the same negative things about their home over and over.
Great video and #5 is so important. (I fell into that trap and, thankfully, escaped it). Wife and I both love the adult life in Thailand, but we do it in moderation. Drinking is another trap to be careful of, and another one that I had to step back from. Love Thailand, and you offer great advice. "the belly of the beast". I like that.
Just ❤ your positive thinking, wish more expats have mindset like you. ❤️ you and your channel. I have a friend wants to move there, I will refer him to you if he has any problem.
You are a cool guy. My wife is Thai. I love this place. I’m Brazilian and I know some people take advantage of people from other countries in Brazil. I don’t like that. Life goes on brother. People need to compare and go with the flow. Take care my brother.
