PJack Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 I like to be in America! O.K. by me in America! Ev'rything free in America For a small fee in America! Automobile in America, Chromium steel in America, Wire-spoke wheel in America, Very big deal in America! Immigrant goes to America, Many hellos in America; Nobody knows in America 'Kon Thai' in America! I like the shores of America! Comfort is yours in America! Knobs on the doors in America, Wall-to-wall floors in America! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duanja Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Take it loei ja. Good experience. You can come back to bkk later on. But make sure you got a decent income naja. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geri Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 LA is better than NC anyway :roll: Awwww... Will be going to NC soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 yeah where are y'all in NC? i went to school in Chapel Hill and my dad lives near Conover (which is near Hickory). if you find the exciting part of NC... let me know. i didn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ling_dtua_khaao Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 My dad's Thai sister-in-law lives there now with her Lebanese husband. After living in BKK, Beirut and Kuwait, they had to adjust to the life of endless boring residential suburbia. Then again, after living for 8 years through war in Beirut, only to move to Kuwait and then losing everything they had there when Saddam invaded (they escaped across Iraq into Jordan in their car), NC was something of a welcome relief. --Ling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trocks69 Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 before you go for it here is a list of things you should know 1 LA is expensive --are they paying enough i know it might sound like a lot but LA is very expensive 2. do you have enough to buy a car and can you drive...no public transport worth a damm taxi's are very expensive 3. are they offering healh insurance,,,,doctors here cost alot 4. do you have a place to stay apartment/house you most likely wont find a apartment for under 1500usd and that would be a small place in a so-so neighborhood i make real good money in the states but i would be poor in LA compared to how i live in texas this is because the cost of living is much cheaper here..i could not even afford my house here in houston if it was in LA. the price would be some where around 1 million usd in LA for something similiar in neighborhood and size. i think if you go your pay needs to be at least 50 thousand usd but you have to remeber that 33 % of that will be taxed away..so you will never see it again. i know that might sound like a lot but LA is fing expensie and people drive like nuts there. good luck i dont want to scare you but would hate to see you caught up in a job that oes not pay enough to live in that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcatbus Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 trocks69: Perfect. LA is close to Silicon Valley, one of the most expensive place in US. We always laugh loud if someone, for example HR of big international company seeks skilled people in my country to work in US, offers a work visa, but 50000$ year salary. Joke, to live in this place at least $120000 needed. Very expensive. My older brother was work a year or so near LA, but relocated (return) to Chicago, cos all money was disappeared to support everyday life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afook06 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 yes, not as easy as some may think....... :cry: just ask anyone living and working in la................ :shock: specially, if you're coming from thailand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldMember Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Out of curiousity did a check on google and its slightly puzzling why L A comes in only 42 nd of most expensive cities in the world for expats to live in-behind the likes of even Istanbul,Athens,Doula and Glasgow. http://www.finfacts.com/costofliving.htm Though solely on a US basis,comes 2nd to NYC.So it seems to be more a relative thing rather than absolute. Though these cost-of -living expat surveys look at very specific types of lifestyles(executive) so are a bit misleading if you dont mind slumming it a bit and can manage without the county club membership,personal trainer and runaround Hummer for trips to Walmart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geri Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Where will you be in NC..? I'm just in a boring area of the state... that's why i said I prefer LA... Not sure yet...But will probably stay in Wilmington for about a month until I get my assigned area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afook06 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 don't believe everything you read with a google.........go to la and try to start up a new life for yourself.........you'll find out really fast!!! :shock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afook06 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 geri: good luck to you, nc isn't bad, a good state with growth potential, and the cost of living, nowhere compares with trying to make a go of it in la........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geri Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 yeah where are y'all in NC? i went to school in Chapel Hill and my dad lives near Conover (which is near Hickory). if you find the exciting part of NC... let me know. i didn't. I'm not yet in NC zeusbheld.... Hopefully I'll live in Raleigh or in Wilmington - or maybe Durham..... nothing's definite yet. - but it's more likely I'll be staying in the suburbs :cry: :cry: :cry: geri: good luck to you, nc isn't bad, a good state with growth potential, and the cost of living, nowhere compares with trying to make a go of it in la........ Thanks... I really have no plans of living in LA...been there and I didn't like it... Maybe for vacation..Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldMember Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 don't believe everything you read with a google.........go to la and try to start up a new life for yourself.........you'll find out really fast!!! :shock: Been several times but admittedly have never lived there.Though it never comes across as particuarly expensive.But then again- West European big city dwellers find most places relatively cheap. Convoluted point being--you got Thais(etc) over here existing quite happily on less income(than 50K)eventhough they are paying more(compared to LA) for the basic essentials needed to exist in a large city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrickbseattle Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Silicon Valley is not close to LA, unless you mean its in the same state,.the Bay Area is where S.Valley is located Taxes in the US are lower then the vast majority of Europe. Higher taxed then many places in Asia however. You need 120,000 a year to live in LA? umm what % of LA people pull in over a 100,000 a year, I doubt more then 5%. I live in Seattle, just next to downtown, is it expensive? Sure almost any coastal city is more then an interior city except perhaps Chicago but You can live fine off 45,000 here. Can you buy a monster house, 2 cars, get drunk every night, etc? I doubt it but lets put the normal American daily life into perspective. Get up 630a, Work at 8am, off work 545pm, home by 630pm, watch tv and eat too much, bed by 11pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afook06 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 patrick is correct, the silicon valley is in the bay area of san francisco..........and san francisco is much different than la.......but just as high in costs of living, etc........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 yeah where are y'all in NC? i went to school in Chapel Hill and my dad lives near Conover (which is near Hickory). if you find the exciting part of NC... let me know. i didn't. I'm not yet in NC zeusbheld.... Hopefully I'll live in Raleigh or in Wilmington - or maybe Durham..... nothing's definite yet. - but it's more likely I'll be staying in the suburbs :cry: :cry: :cry: i went to school in chapel hill; it wasn't THAT boring. raleigh is definitely in 3rd place of the 3 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Where will you be in NC..? I'm just in a boring area of the state... that's why i said I prefer LA... Not sure yet...But will probably stay in Wilmington for about a month until I get my assigned area. assigned area? what's your job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryanwhat Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Out of curiousity did a check on google and its slightly puzzling why L A comes in only 42 nd of most expensive cities in the world for expats to live in-behind the likes of even Istanbul,Athens,Doula and Glasgow.http://www.finfacts.com/costofliving.htm Though solely on a US basis,comes 2nd to NYC.So it seems to be more a relative thing rather than absolute. Though these cost-of -living expat surveys look at very specific types of lifestyles(executive) so are a bit misleading if you dont mind slumming it a bit and can manage without the county club membership,personal trainer and runaround Hummer for trips to Walmart. I have a friend who is living and working in LA. She lives in a not so great part of town because the rents aren't that bad. She lives not too far from Inglewood in LA, basically near the slums. I agree that this is what most people don't take into account is this very large area where people are of lower socio-economic status compared to rich people who might constitute a smaller population but a rather large net worth. With this kind of diversity you have to be location specific.....Do you want to live in Beverly Hills, Compton or Redondo beach?? You have to look city to city to get a better estimate. If I had to live in LA I would probably choose to live in Thousand Oaks which is semi-upscale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_love_som_tam Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 if you work in the US , be prepared to work till you are 70 as their retirement system sucks BIG!! That's social security Ghee. Most companies and government agencies have their own retirement plans. You still pay into SS but you can retire way before 70. I retired after 20 years at age 45 with 60% of my highest year earned, including overtime and specialty pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiaranM Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 if you work in the US , be prepared to work till you are 70 as their retirement system sucks BIG!! That's social security Ghee. Most companies and government agencies have their own retirement plans. You still pay into SS but you can retire way before 70. I retired after 20 years at age 45 with 60% of my highest year earned, including overtime and specialty pay. u f**king lucky lucky lucky bugger !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeMarc Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 if you work in the US , be prepared to work till you are 70 as their retirement system sucks BIG!! That's social security Ghee. Most companies and government agencies have their own retirement plans. You still pay into SS but you can retire way before 70. I retired after 20 years at age 45 with 60% of my highest year earned, including overtime and specialty pay. u f**king lucky lucky lucky bugger !!!!! Ditto :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anenglishman Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 yeah where are y'all in NC? i went to school in Chapel Hill and my dad lives near Conover (which is near Hickory). if you find the exciting part of NC... let me know. i didn't. Geez...I lived in Winston-Salem. That's even worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigcatbus Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 but You can live fine off 45,000 here. Can you buy a monster house, 2 cars, get drunk every night, etc? I doubt it but lets put the normal American daily life into perspective. Get up 630a, Work at 8am, off work 545pm, home by 630pm, watch tv and eat too much, bed by 11pm. We need to calculate expenses, How much will be a rent a good house. How much money will need for any other. Foreigner will spend more than a citizen. Do not forget about visits to foreigner country from time to time. Don't know now much cost of plane ticket from LA to BKK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.