I love living in a 3rd world shithole.
- Thread starter Kiopa_Matt
- Start date
I'm in Koh Tao at the moment, just finishing up some diving certification. That said, I don't think I've been anywhere in Thailand where I've spent more than $50/day (apart from maybe full moon party - which was fucking terrible). I'm definitely not living in the same type of places as geomark/lukep/kiopa matt - but I've no need for a 5 bedroom house with six bathrooms for just me.
At the moment I am staying in an A/C room with double bed, cable TV + hot shower right on the beach and I'm paying ~$10USD a night. Beers are $1-$2 and food is anywhere from $1 (noodle soup) to ~$10USD (heaps of prawns + salad + potatoe + whatever else you want on a BBQ).
This thread quickly got out of hand. I'm extremely thankful that I was born white and in a western country, I think it's made my success much easier. That said, I'm not successful because I'm white and from Australia - I'm successful because I worked 20 hours a week at a crappy part time job, whilst going to university and then coming home to jump on the computer and work another 6-8 hours every day.
I've also got no issue continuing to pay Australian taxes even though I am overseas, but I can easily understand why the others do take issue with it.
Also, not all of Thailand is super cheap. For example I had to go to hospital and I had two choices - go to the government run Thai hospital (which had around 50 beds per room and animals freely roamed amongst dying people) or go to a private 'western' hospital. I have travel insurance so they had to foot the £700 pound a night fee (obviously hugely inflated to fuck my insurance company, but they were charging those without insurance £100/night).
Thailand in the top 10 and the U.S. 297th? Are you serious? lol
Yeah ok, Top 10 for expats coming in with their big USDs/EURs/CADs maybe, certainly not for Thai people.
Yes. Western Countries. There are laws (although not always fair) that protect everyone. A police officer can't walk up to you and say: give me all your monies or I'll make your life a living hell. In 3rd world countries, that's what happens all the time. You never know what to expect, shit coming in from all corners. Here at least you know what to expect: high taxes, lots of paperwork, internet laws, etc., but that's all workable. It doesn't stop you from running a successful biz and banking hard.
Ok we get taxed to death, I get it, but we still can start a business and succeed right? Then we can take our monies and fuck off to Thailand or Costa Rica and live the high life while the locals are eating dry white rice right? This is NOT possible (or very difficult to achieve) for someone born in a 3rd world country.
There are SO many successful immigrants in the U.S., that weren't able to do shit in their home countries even though they spent a larger portion of their lives there. How do you explain that?
C'mon guys, EvilPenguin has a point.
Yes there are wealthy people in third-world countries, yes there are rags-to-riches stories there too, but nowhere near as common as in first-world countries.
Yes there are wealthy people in third-world countries, yes there are rags-to-riches stories there too, but nowhere near as common as in first-world countries.
Not enough people commented on my third world shithole.
Life is really hard. It is incredibly quiet, my neighbors are the nicest people God ever made, and our well water is pure, clean and doesn't need treatment beyond filtering the sand out.
Of course, there is also a lot of oppression here. 75% net taxes, healthcare socialism, and roaming gangs of mulleted hockey fans.
But, no place is perfect. I find a way to endure.
Life is really hard. It is incredibly quiet, my neighbors are the nicest people God ever made, and our well water is pure, clean and doesn't need treatment beyond filtering the sand out.
Of course, there is also a lot of oppression here. 75% net taxes, healthcare socialism, and roaming gangs of mulleted hockey fans.
But, no place is perfect. I find a way to endure.
@geomark
Chula, Thammasat and Mahidol are perfectly good international universities. Just as good as any random US or European university. Those rankings are primarily based on publication in English language science mags. I've studied at Thammasat, Chula and Ramkhamhaeng and you don't buy your degree and professors have no problems with failing students as I evidenced myself, despite paying a years worth of average wages in tuition for one semester. Ramkhamhaeng was pretty bad, but that's because it's a FREE university with the most students in the world. Thai academics are not a joke even if they're not top of the world. Btw almost all professors at those universities have studied in Europe and the US and most students come from affluent and supportive families.
Chula, Thammasat and Mahidol are perfectly good international universities. Just as good as any random US or European university. Those rankings are primarily based on publication in English language science mags. I've studied at Thammasat, Chula and Ramkhamhaeng and you don't buy your degree and professors have no problems with failing students as I evidenced myself, despite paying a years worth of average wages in tuition for one semester. Ramkhamhaeng was pretty bad, but that's because it's a FREE university with the most students in the world. Thai academics are not a joke even if they're not top of the world. Btw almost all professors at those universities have studied in Europe and the US and most students come from affluent and supportive families.
i travel a bit (usually month or 2 at a time)... and lets be honest....
you love living in these countries because you live like a king. I'm not saying they are shit holes like you are saying... but you do not live in the shit hole area... if you did you would not enjoy it.
same as if i didnt live in nyc in a nice place in a nice area... i would not enjoy it
and someone said all of africa is a shit hole... its not? get out their brah
you love living in these countries because you live like a king. I'm not saying they are shit holes like you are saying... but you do not live in the shit hole area... if you did you would not enjoy it.
same as if i didnt live in nyc in a nice place in a nice area... i would not enjoy it
and someone said all of africa is a shit hole... its not? get out their brah
Here's the elephant in the room no one is talking about. Definitely not lukep and all the rest of you who claim to want to live in shit hole countries. Now I'm sure some people would honestly rather live in Thailand than the US, but that's extremely rare...
The truth is, if you guys just made more money than all of a sudden all the "problems" in the US pretty much disappear. I live in San Diego, I have guns, I have everything I want, the government doesn't fuck with me, and I have all the freedom I need. I couldn't be happier. The shitty government we have doesn't really affect me or bother me one bit.
I seriously challenge you to name ONE WAY I would benefit from moving away from the paradise I live in now. C'mon you guys, this is silly - just admit that you can't afford to live the way you want here in the US, and that's why you want to move to some other country that's cheaper.
I swear, if some of you spent more time working and less time trying to convince people how awesome Thailand is ...
Lukep, for the 1000th time, YOUR big problem is that you think MFA farms are long-term solid businesses lol
The truth is, if you guys just made more money than all of a sudden all the "problems" in the US pretty much disappear. I live in San Diego, I have guns, I have everything I want, the government doesn't fuck with me, and I have all the freedom I need. I couldn't be happier. The shitty government we have doesn't really affect me or bother me one bit.
I seriously challenge you to name ONE WAY I would benefit from moving away from the paradise I live in now. C'mon you guys, this is silly - just admit that you can't afford to live the way you want here in the US, and that's why you want to move to some other country that's cheaper.
I swear, if some of you spent more time working and less time trying to convince people how awesome Thailand is ...
Lukep, for the 1000th time, YOUR big problem is that you think MFA farms are long-term solid businesses lol
wow glad to see that some people get it.
Thailand Top-10 and the U.S. 284th lol... I still can't believe he said that. Unbelievable.
Lukep if you really believe that why don't you renounce your U.S. citizenship and get a Thai one? Open a Thai bank account and bank in Baht while you're at it. See how that works out for ya.
Thailand Top-10 and the U.S. 284th lol... I still can't believe he said that. Unbelievable.
Lukep if you really believe that why don't you renounce your U.S. citizenship and get a Thai one? Open a Thai bank account and bank in Baht while you're at it. See how that works out for ya.
Huge parts of America are piss poor, violent shitholes with murder rates to match Haiti. Large parts of Europe have turned into Sharia zones. The difference is that the 'shithole' countries are upfront about it and don't try to tax you 2/3 of your income. If you want to live in a 'first world' country, Japan is a much nicer country or Switzerland.
I don't think anyone ever doubted that the US is nice if you're very rich. So are many European countries if you can jet between London and the French Riviera, but for most regular people life consists of paying half in taxes to lazy bums then spending the rest on a overprized old apartment and maybe a car.
If you're geographically independent it seems to be a smart move to me, to move to a cheaper country while you're young where your money won't be wasted on ridicously overpriced real estate and debt-ridden bloat states.
In the next 10-20 years, average real income is going to plummet in southern europe and significantly decrease in northern europe to what it was before everyone thought you could borrow yourself rich. That is when living in Europe will become attractive again. As of right now, you still pay out the nose to fund a coaliton of the bueracratic class and the welfare receivers. Those people will have to look for real jobs soon which will make people with entreprenural income much more well off comparatively.
The fact is just that as a productive citizen right now in most western countries, you get screwed in so many ways.
Actually, the average American pays less than 25% in Federal taxes. 49% of Americans pay ZERO tax.
Federal taxes, state taxes, local taxes, property taxes, sales tax, sin taxes, taxes built into the price of products. It adds up.
Of course, there are some people who have lived long term in both places and know first hand the advantages of one over the other. That wouldn't be you, obviously. Hence your dumbshit comment about Thai baht:
I'm up 30% on THB versus USD since I moved here 10 years ago. Enjoy your ever more worthless USD sucker.
The fifth time now I've written something and deleted it. It's just not worth it...
Sixth.
Seventh.
This thread is the worst.
You don't live in an entire country, you live in an apartment or a house or a hotel.
There are parts of NYC that look like they just got carpet bombed and lavish parts of BKK.
Averages are meaningless. The average person in america has half a penis and half a vagina, which is just blatantly false. The average Thai person has half a penis and half a vagina, which is actually True.
HAH, but seriously. I don't give a shit what the average Thai person makes every year.
So if you actually rule out "Thailand" because it's a "third world shit hole" and not because, oh I don't know, you don't speak Thai or like Thai food or you'd miss your family or friends or lose your job or the vast cultural differences or another valid reason, then I seriously suggest you travel more. There are great places everywhere.
If you seriously think you'd live there and start to "need a hot shower", just
fucking travel more.
You sound like a goddamn idiot to a lot of us who notice and don't say anything.
The higher standard of living at the same cost is a benefit, and a motive for many.
There are also many other reasons people move that have nothing to do with money.
There are good things about the USA. Thailand helped me learn to appreciate them.
People on both sides of this argument have created and aggravated it by saying stupid, blanket, opinionated things like:
And no one, should ever, ever, ever argue with lukep.
Sixth.
Seventh.
This thread is the worst.
You don't live in an entire country, you live in an apartment or a house or a hotel.
There are parts of NYC that look like they just got carpet bombed and lavish parts of BKK.
Averages are meaningless. The average person in america has half a penis and half a vagina, which is just blatantly false. The average Thai person has half a penis and half a vagina, which is actually True.
HAH, but seriously. I don't give a shit what the average Thai person makes every year.
So if you actually rule out "Thailand" because it's a "third world shit hole" and not because, oh I don't know, you don't speak Thai or like Thai food or you'd miss your family or friends or lose your job or the vast cultural differences or another valid reason, then I seriously suggest you travel more. There are great places everywhere.
If you seriously think you'd live there and start to "need a hot shower", just
fucking travel more.
You sound like a goddamn idiot to a lot of us who notice and don't say anything.
The higher standard of living at the same cost is a benefit, and a motive for many.
There are also many other reasons people move that have nothing to do with money.
There are good things about the USA. Thailand helped me learn to appreciate them.
People on both sides of this argument have created and aggravated it by saying stupid, blanket, opinionated things like:
- "The only people that do want to live there, are the people who don't know any better." (about the USA. The entire country.)
- "Even if you can get nice housing for cheap, it's still a third world shit hole." (about Thailand. The entire country.)
And no one, should ever, ever, ever argue with lukep.