Thailand. A nice place to visit, BUT......

[Aunty]

As you can get a retirement visa at the age of 50 it could be anything up to 40 years (or more).

You forget boygeenyus is an ageist

Don't be ridiculous...some of my dearest friends are mothball-smelling old coots.

Yes but darling we're talking about humans of flesh and blood here, not your collection of teddy bears.

But almost all farangs are only as good as their last visa stamp. So, why bother conforming too much? .

Because Thaiquila it is showing respect to your hosts.

It is a shame that your typical American arrogance shows through yet again.

You complain frequently about adverse comments about your fellow countrymen but it is the style of arrogance that you display that brings forth the reputation that many of you have gained throughout the civilised world.

It is not just Americans. The Brits, Ozzies, Germans, Belgians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Italians, Swiss and Russians are much worse. And, they all speak a non-preferred variety of English and Thai.

Naughty but Nice - get a grip. Farangs are welcome to Thailand by their own imaginations, and that is all. No one will cry when you leave. We will celebrate with the baht you leave behind and the monks will dance after your cremation. So, please be real.

Do monks dance?

Wow. What a lively post. I never ceased to be amazed when someone asks a simple question on this board how it rapidly denigrates into a melee of off the topic subjects, irrelevancy, bad grammar and spelling, anti-american sentiment (should be compulsory) not to mention downright mudslinging, back stabbing and bitchiness.
Why am I not surprised when a simple opening question such as: " Just how welcoming are the Thai people to those who relocate to Thailand?" evolves into a smorgasbord consisting of teddy bear collections, mothball-smelling old coots and dancing monks?
More of it!
The culinary aspect wasn''t overlooked, either. One thing's for sure, next time I eat out, I won't be ordering a salad with french drench and cuiltivated fetta cheese!

Perhaps an antipodean appetiser though? (Sorry, Aunty, couldn't resist)

[Aunty]

What are those things supposed to be, Australians? They look like kangaroos to me.

I'll let you in on a little secret I have about Australia. Apart from 24 hours in 1976, I've never been there. But I always make it a point that when I fly over Aussie to some place interesting, I go into the dunny and I take a big dump.

Now that's what I call neighbourly relations! (Pheeww, no one light a match)

I'll let you in on a little secret I have about Australia. Apart from 24 hours in 1976, I've never been there.

Someone from Oz can probably confirm this, but I believe NZers with criminal records are no longer admitted to Australia automatically (somewhat ironic given the place's origins as a British colony). But it's a likely explanation for Aunty's avoidance