I think this statement is widely exaggerated.ladislav wrote:The title of this article is Thailand, a Retirement Paradise for White Men.
.....
My point- it is not. It is a retirement paradise for yellow or yellow- brown men. People there like Singaporeans, Taiwanese, Chinese, Koreans and Japanese. Malaysians. White people are not particularly liked, but are tolerated.
.....
Thailand only has 20,000 + Americans living there. The Philippines- over 100,000. More Americans live in the Philippines than in any other Asian country.
.....
In Thailand, I feel, white people are only tolerated because of money.
.....
Anyway, Thailand not recommended by me as a retirement paradise for White men. For yellow and brown men, yes.
.....
You are white? Do not move there!
It is true that not so many men from USA are living in Thailand, but in Thailand there are many 'white men' from EU, and not to forget to mention all these Russians from Siberia.
Thai people are always business-minded, and therefore any foreigner regardless his race, who cannot speak Thai but has money (EU, USA etc.) is much more welcome than any foreigner regardless his race, who can speak Thai but has no money (Vietnam, Myanmar etc.)
My family (EU+Japan) is visiting Thailand since maybe 30+ years and while we do not have any personal relationship with the Thai people, we cannot complain about any form of discrimination.
In my area, in Pattaya there are many foreigners, any nationality, in Chonburi region there are about 400.000 foreigners registered and add to that all these overseas visitors - over 5 million foreign tourists, and there are rich Thai from Bangkok who have a second house in that area, and also many poor Thai from rural areas who are doing any kind of job - and what counts here is the money you spend - as everywhere in this world - and sometimes, it counts a lot if the Thai business owner knows you as his/her frequent customer.
Near my place in Pattaya/Jomtien we are using always the same gas-station, workers know me and know they get a tip. Same with my motorcycle, which is is serviced by the same shop since years. We are owners in a guarded condominium complex, no problems with the house administration and with our accounting/law office, we use the same hospital since years, I go to the same laundry since we bought our retirement home - and we are using the same tailor since years, the same travel agent, the same banking branch, our invoices are paid on time, many restaurant owners know us near our home etc.
Discrimination? Where? How? We never had any problem...but as I said, we do not have any personal relationship with the Thai people.
Personal relationship with the Thai people is a very different matter. A really rich Thai woman will hardly look for a foreigner as her husband, and only Thai women who are not very much suitable for Thai men are willing to be with foreign men. Not all of these women are bad, some are orphans, some were cheated and are now single mothers, some had a medical problem and cannot get children anymore, some are from rural provinces and dark-skinned, or not so young anymore - Thai men can be very choosy. Thai men often pay a bride price to the parents of the bride.
However even out of those Thai women not suitable to marry a Thai man many of them look first after themselves and their own relatives, and the foreign husband is not the most important person in their life.
While Thailand is not bad for retirement for foreigners, I would be careful with a Thai wife. If you are into retirement as a foreign man, 50+, single and have your own money from abroad, there is no reason to marry a Thai woman. You will get an extendable 1 year permit anyway.