Dublin. I hear the rents are getting cheaper by the minute and easy access to pints of the black stuff. Also great low tax rates. Eire it is!! Andy
The main issues can be spelt out in this link: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1040.html Here is all of the trouble I can think of in Thailand: -Traffic&Motorbikes - People drive on the opposite side of the road and traffic laws are oftentimes not obeyed. Its easy to get hit by a car and riding around on a motorbike is risky. You could get killed if not careful. -Drugs - Drugs seem commonplace around America especially marijuana. However, Thailand has strict laws against drugs. There are over 100,000 drug arrests each year and the jungle prisons are FILLED with Americans and Australians. -The Ladies - The ladies are nice and good looking, but they are all hard up for cash for the most part. They could get you in trouble in more ways then one. - Pissing the wrong person off - You never know who knows who or who is related to who or who is friends with who or who is paying someone off. I would not get into any fights in Thailand with any of the locals. Lets say a shop keeper rips you off. Some guys will opt to get into a fight with the shopkeeper, but that might be a mistake. Lets say the shopkeeper's son is a local cop. Bad move. - Dis-respecting the king - You can't speak against the king and you have to obey local laws/customs in regards to the king. You have to stand up in the movie theatre just before the movie plays as a sign of respect. - Traveling to an area that is not intended for tourists or ex-pats - Not all areas of Thailand were meant to be traveled to. Just like there are bad parts of NYC and Chicago, there are bad parts of Thailand. The locals will sometimes warn you before entering into an area that you should not be. - Guns - Some guys just like their guns and will buy one off of the locals. Bad move as there are laws about them too. - Scams - There are scams and scam artists. If you have a fat wad of money, then do not advertise that you do. Be low key about what you have. - Political matters - If there are protesters out in force or military guys with weapons in the street, then you should probably get back inside and out of the way. - Doing something that offends the government- There was an American porn producer, the guy who ran the Cream Pie Thai site, was arrested. There is no law against what he was doing, however, he was pissing the government off with the site. It offended them. The cops raided his apartment, threw down a gun and some drugs then arrested him. So, Thailand can be a safe place, but I would first read the link above and think about things carefully. If you are the type of person that does illegal things (like drugs), gets in trouble easily or seems to piss people off then I would re-think Thailand. However, if you are street smart and easily avoid trouble then you can have a good time there. I would stick with the areas where the Australians and Americans seem most prominent.
I've spent a lot of time in Thailand and I think a lot of what you are talking about can be avoided if your smart and respectful of the local culture. The Thais are generally very polite people and most will not go out of there way to cause you any trouble. The rules are pretty simple. Don't flash a lot of cash around. Don't steal stuff. Don't be insulting or derogatory. Say thankyou in the local language. Don't get involved with drugs. And if you hook up with a local. Treat them with respect. It's not hard.
Taxes are such an important issue in profitability & flexibility so other places to consider would include Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Vanuatu, & anywhere else that has the basic good manners to keep their hands out of my pockets. ? Why kowtow to thieves? - there is a choice! btw There are many, way more pleasant places in Thailand than Pattaya
You are either 12 years old or have no idea what it is like for a foreigner in those countries. Only a fool would move to an Arab country. One wrong step and you'll have to leave by scuba to an offshore rendezvous. If you think things can get complex in Thailand for a foreigner, do a search on the Internet to understand what I am referring to.
Not mentioned before: France -St Tropez in the summer: great beaches, good food, nightlife, shops, etc.. Doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg if you look around a bit. -Paris in autumn and spring: lots of stuff to do, musea, restaurants, etc. -Les Trois Vallées in the winter: great skiing, friendly people, etc.
Good thinking except for the Spanish women, they yell too much, opinionated, hairy armpits, tempers that would fry an egg at 20 paces, oh no