Yeah SM007, agreed. It's funny how people here often are totally binary in their thinking and opinions.
This is a great place to live, and it has a lot of warts to boot. Which is pretty much part and parcel of any other country that we may chose to live in as expats. Affordability here in Thailand is a definite plus, excepts it also brings out the d**k-measuring, "I'm Richer Than You Poor Commoner Trash" types who love to brag about how they are the economical equivalent of Long-John Holmes.
It's affordable, and as well, you don't need to go to the city council or pay half a dozen "inspectors" and engineers, and architects in order to lay down a new cement driveway slab, or build a building on your property, or put in a solar system or any other DIY project. Lord, I can hear the shrieks from the nanny-state embracing members now. "You'll be sorry when an (earthquake, tornado, cyclone, tsunami, <enter natural disaster here>) hits - ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
Probably not. I'll just rebuild out of pocket. Like I said - affordable.