| UK expat and author Andrew shares his observations about Surin, Thailand, where he lives with his family. It's a place that he loves and which he now calls home. "Go with the flow," Andrew says. And he does. |
 Andrew Hicks |
-Where were you born?
UK
-In which country and city are you living now?
Surin Province, Thailand, in a village which grows rice.
-Are you living alone or with your family?
With my Thai wife and family
-How long have you been living in Thailand?
Five years, though I first visited in the seventies when living in Hong Kong and Singapore.
-What is your age?
My birth certificate says sixty but it must be a mistake.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Thailand?
At about six o'clock. I was persuaded by the fact that I love both Thailand and my Thai wife.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
I have a year's retirement visa, available to anyone over 50 who can produce evidence of sufficient income or a cash deposit and who can find their way round regulations written in Thai that, as an Immigration official told me a few days ago 'change every day'. I've just had my renewal refused because of a new requirement I was unaware of. I was told to come back on Monday because the rule will have been abrogated by then. Today it's Saturday and I'm waiting anxiously.
Expats used to live here permanently by picking up a 30-day visa on arrival and then crossing the border to renew it every 30 days. This is now no longer allowed and things have got much more difficult, leaving many expats feeling as if their days are numbered. In Buddhism everything is said to be impermanent, changeable and unsatisfactory. Thailand is a Buddhist country.
A forum on visas can be found at www.thaivisa.com which is amazingly good and will probably fail to answer any of your qusetions.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
I don't bother. There are excellent hospitals in Bangkok which are good value. Outside of Bangkok in a major city there may not even be a cardiologist. All prescription drugs are sold like sweeties in village medicine shops where they don't know a virus from a bacterium. Medical insurance for expats is widely available in Thailand. Major companies operate some of which may sometimes pay claims and there are also some smaller ones.
-How do you make your living in Thailand? Do you have any type of income generated?
I have a modest pension and a flood of royalties from my amazing novel, 'Thai Girl'. See www.thaigirl2004.com
-Do you speak Thai and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I speak a modicum of Thai, much more than many expats. A major impediment is the different writing system that means you can't read a word of the lingo.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
This is home and my family are here, though I do miss my English children. All expats miss their own TV and newspapers if they are isolated by language and culture and here I am.
-Do you have other plans for the future?
I plan to go with the flow.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I have built... for details see www.thaigirl2004.blogspot.com. I have a concrete house and a house in the garden for fun. The concrete house cost less than a new bathroom in my house back in UK.
-What is the cost of living in Thailand?
Very low but I maintain a Thai family about ten people and am their medical insurer of last resort, as is usual for expats here. It's not possible to escape.
More seriously, costs generally are low. Rents are cheap except in Bangkok. Food and clothing are inexpensive. Land transport is excellent and there are bargains of all sort but somehow money flows like water.
-What do you think about the Thai people?
Wonderful! They are the principal reason to be here. The Land of Smiles is a cliche, but despite all my cynical comments, it's tue.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Thailand?
Positive, the wonderful people. Negative, it's too hot and there's no cheese.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Thailand?
You'll have to leave all your cultural baggage behind and go with the flow. It's not always easy. Thailand looks western but it's very, very different and it doesn't suit everyone. If when you buy something you expect it to work, you expect appointments to be kept, or for yes always to mean yes and not no, then despite the pretty palm trees, maybe it's not for you.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Thailand?
My amazing blog about life here... www.thaigirl2004.blogspot.com. People tell me it has some insights into relations between Thais and foreigners and gives the feel of being an expat here... though maybe they're all talking nonsense as my friends sometimes do!
