If one already has cultivated a peace of mind then a good life can be had for shockingly little in Thailand. Less than 20k.
If one is looking to feel good from external sources Thailand can be as expensive or more than back home.
Everyone has an aversion to ugly smells, sounds and sights.
I wouldn't like it at the beach if someone in front of me farted, sang terribly or uncovered their ugly fat.
Do you know anyone who would?
How many low skilled immigrant workers are there in Thailand?
What surprises me is that the decades long collapse of the fertility rate, leading to far fewer workers entering the labour market hasn't led to a natural increase in the unskilled pay rate.
No offence, but having seen a pic of your uk wife and heard your description of your Thai wife I'd guess your Thai daughter is attractive while you're uk one not. For a woman that changes her experience of the world completely.
Of course I could be wrong 😂
Chasing pleasure like the real or fictional Bob will never bring happiness. It becomes an addiction.
The feeling of happiness is a by product of living a good life. For the vast majority that's a strong combination of friends, family, faith (even if only in humanity) and work ( anything that contributes to another, even cooking a meal)
You can only choose the country nothing else. What country would you choose and how far up the list would being born in Thailand be?
I'd choose Norway ( sovereign wealth fund and good education system)
Thailand would be around the 50th best country.
I love Thailand but wouldn't want to be born here.
Western countries are trillions, yes trillions in debt but continue to pay good pensions. Of course Thailand's much better value than back home.
Try telling a Thai earning a typical 10k to 20k bht salary Thailand has a better quality of life!
To be fair, 30 years ago when I was first in Thailand I thought by now the gap between UK and Thai salaries would have closed more than they have.
Min wage convenience store work in the UK gets 82k bht a month for a 37.5 hour week. Thailand equivalent?
Anyone else noticed how slowly but surely the interesting, worthwhile posters have left and have been replaced with pulp fiction?
Do you come here out of habit more than anything else? How much worse would it have to get before you'd leave too?
For me, yes and not much worse.
When you left your home country you had 180 countries to choose from. You decided Thailand was the most promising I presume. I also presume you had visited or at least researched it before deciding to live here.
Why did you think Thailand was the best for you at that time?
In evolution the first single cell organism appeared 3.5 billion years ago.
The first multi cell organism 2 billion years ago.
I liken the first attempts at AI to the first single cell organism. The recent batch of AI to the first multi cell organisms.
It took 20 years or so.
At the same rate of progress AI in 25 years will be to it's current form what humans are sino bacteria.
If an actor plays the part of a character it's funny.
If someone never lets on he is acting then it's a con artist or mental illness.
That's why roleplaying on a stage works whereas on a forum not so much.
Some people have inner resources and some don't.
If reading,contemplating, exercising, breathing, listening to podcasts, going somewhere for the view etc is high on your list Thailand is a pretty great country to do that on a low income.