Stygge

Same same but different. Western food more available. Vegetables more available in Thailand. Taste is like an <deleted>, everyone has one. The myth is that Thai food is more healthy. That was long time ago. You have to visit grandma in the province to get old style healthy and tasty thaifood.

Well, there shall always be a thread like this going so you can always start a new one of an old subject. As I see it the two main contenders of the westernes interest are Thailand and the Philippines with Vietnam as a coming runner up. Since this is a thai forum most posters here favor Thailand. The pros and cons have been extensively listed and then it´s a personal preference of what has the highest weight for the individual expat. I stay mostly in Thailand, because of the ease of flying there and the better infrastructure making a short holiday easier. But in the long run I prefer the Philippines. The most weight for me in the long run is the language. Even if the english language understanding is exaggerated in the far out provinces it´s still so much better than in thailand. I also experience the filipinos so much more curios and inquisitive about the world than the thais. For me it´s decisive in the long run. I find the island country the Philippines far less insular than Thailand. I also think the Philippines in the long run has better prospects than Thailand, mainlu because it´s much younger population. It´s going to make all the difference in the future. The food is a minor problem for mie since I think food in Thailand generally has deteriorated the latest decade. Heavy on sugar, salt and glutamat it has certainly changed for the worse. Most of us come for the temples and beautiful churches and other cultural activities of course, but a small, deprived minority comes to find women. If I, reluctantly, put their glasses on, I can say there is not much difference between Thailand and the Philippines, but maybe the age difference in their respective populations makes the number of younger girls more protruding in the Philippines. If this is a pro or a con I wouldn´t know. Most expats maybe seeking more age appropriate 50 year old ladies and then I definitely recommend Thailand. Otherwiise both are south east asian countries and the similarites are predominant.

Ok, poked the hornets nest I can see. Of course you are mainly right, and I like Australia, especially since you decided to stop being the chinese door mat. I try to simplify. You elaborate. And simply; of course the entire landmass of Australia belongs to Australia and counts. But it´s like a small dog hiding in a big dogs doghouse. Looks impressive from the outside until you hear the shrill bark and the echo it makes in the oversized doghouse.. And even if the Koala disappears there is comfort in knowing that recently imported cane toads and rabbits thrive.

Right now is cash king. No matter inflation will take a bite of it.

I think it´s a matter of definition. Maybe 70 % is the core of the land uninhabitable by humans, which also is my definition of a wasteland. I don´t mean small groups of native population. 90% of the population live in 10 % of the land area. Where you have more very poisonous reptiles than humans. Where the only viable and useful natural resource is coal which Australia burn and pollute not only Australia but the world. Which in it´s turn regularly turn big part of the fertile Australia on fire. Which in it´s turn threaten one of the most iconic Australian animals, the Koala, with extinction.