Thai woman are the world's prostitutes and I say that with no disrespect. Everywhere in the world men go to Thailand to buy a Thai woman. You can be but ugly, have no teeth and live in a 1 bedroom appartment... The most beautifull Tai women will mary you. It's a strange fact that has always kept me wondering why that is. But yeah, life is supposed to be good there. Haven' been there myself.
all i can say is that if you are a single guy and are looking for the trip of a lifetime, go to pattaya, thailand.
Isn't Pattaya just bars and hookers? For somewhere to live and trade I've been looking into Chiang Mai. I'm planning a trip there to take a look. The information I have is from reading and research but it definitely has a cooler climate and is supposed to be a lot less frenetic than Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket. Maybe better suited for a longer-term stay. Been looking at Koh Samui as well but I'm not too fond of living on islands. Thailand has some definite negatives too. There are exceptions but mostly you can't own property. Its no good for running or cycling because of heat and air quality issues so you have to work out in a gym. Doctors can be iffy. Its hard to find a decent cup of coffee. In my case I would have to renew my visa every year. There is some political instability. Even so it is still attractive for a lot of reasons.
A few years ago, they passed a law that if you are a foreigner, you must show a work permit to open a bank account. (Don't know about people on retirement visas.) In fact, I went to the bank for an existing bank account opened way before that law, and all I wanted was to register it so I could use the website for my account -- the staff would not do it, told me that I needed a work permit. At another bank, their solution was if I were married (to a Thai), the Thai person could open it in their name for me, which is not a great solution. Is it still the same? Or can you open a bank account there now without a work permit?
Go travel around SE Asia for 3-6 months to see what suits you. Cambodia has the nicest people and Phnom Pehn is beautiful. Laos is incredibly laid back - plenty of foreigners in Luang Prabang. Vietnam is congested and hectic, but a VERY diverse country with tons to do. Thailand is obviously full of foreigners, but has the best beaches by far and you can still get a great massage at the Chiang Mai women's prison - $10 for 2 hours. Don't delay your trip because of the flooding. Just avoid Bangkok if you're cautious. As for political unrest - they don't target foreigners, just avoid the southern most region by the Malaysian border.
I traded from Karon Beach in Phuket for a week. It's too slow to microscalp but it could be acceptable for intra day swing trades, ie. 10 minute holds and up... The data would stream in with lags, especially if you tried to switch symbols. This place below is where I stayed. They offer info on their internet below. http://www.pacific-club-phuket.com/wifi.htm