The Real Reasons Expats Decided Thailand (And What They Think Now)

[Rimmer]

Came for the warm weather, I hated the cold in UK and scraping ice off the car and those short daylight hours during the winter. Already lived and worked in Singapore but prohibitively expensive to stay there at end of contract

[d2b2]

For me it was a combination of 

cheaper to live (allowing early retirement)

just wanted to get out of the country (politics and lifestyle in the USA was depressing)

warmer weather

 

[MaeJoMTB]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

All very interesting information.

Not really because you didn't ask the question "What nationality is your wife/gf?"

Everyone is sleeping with a local, hardly anyone will admit that is why they are here. 

[Argus Tuft]

4 hours ago, nikmar said:

I came for a holiday and impregnated a local girl so just never went home. Absolutely no regrets except the missis is a Junta lover!!!

Do you work in an IVF clinic?

Or are you just an old-fashioned incurable romantic...

[phuketrichard]

3 hours ago, punchjudy said:

it's not thai

she is 10x more thoughtful, considerate, caring than any thai lady i have met ( or married)

[Mac98]

I came half the year for the women; now I'll reside the whole year to flee from Trump. The food is good, too.

[brewsterbudgen]

I came for work as the CELTA course was much cheaper here than in the UK. I hadn't planned on staying but I'm still here, teaching and married with a kid, after 13 years. Thinking of returning for my son's benefit (he's 3) but I can earn more here.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Lacessit]

Much cheaper to live here than Australia. Women here are low maintenance. The only things I miss are a good eye filet steak, and a decent shiraz to go with it.

[MaeJoMTB]

14 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I came for work as the CELTA course was much cheaper here than in the UK. I hadn't planned on staying but I'm still here, teaching and married with a kid, after 13 years. Thinking of returning for my son's benefit (he's 3) but I can earn more here.

#MeeToo ....... the kid not being allowed to pass on UK citizenship without 3 years living in the UK is a concern.

[wwest5829]

I would be interested is seeing how your survey compares to the findings of the Chiang Mai Expats Club. Anecdotally, for those retired here finances rank high. Certainly a major consideration fo4 myself, I cannot afford to live as well in my home country. I did come with a prejudice favoring the Asian female, and a traditionally raised Thai girl? Possibly, second only to a traditionally raised Japanese female (I am priced out of the Japan market... kimono means big bucks!). But I am a very happy camper after 6 years ....

[DefaultName]

The idea of a lengthy retirement, alone, in the cold, wet, ultra-PC UK scared the shit out of me basically.  Had been coming here for years so, once I thought I could afford it, and couldn't really increase my pension much, sold up and here I am.

 

No regrets yet.  Here I'm warm, have company and can call someone I don't like whatever I want.  As in "**** off you ***** ********"!

[thaibeachlovers]

1.59% for the women

x a million.

 

Doesn't matter what they really came for ( the girls/ boys/ both ) they aren't going to tell some stranger doing a survey that they came to get drunk and shag beautiful young women.

 

It's like when those uni girls doing a project on tourism in Bkk ask me what I like about Thailand I always say temples.

Actually, I'm surprised he got anyone to admit they are here for the night life.

Anyway, what the **** is "other"?

 

Some no doubt stay on for other things, but in the beginning it was the night life for many of us, and certainly way more than 1.59%.

 

Perhaps he advertised in the Temple lovers of Thailand publication.

[thaibeachlovers]

39 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Much cheaper to live here than Australia. Women here are low maintenance. The only things I miss are a good eye filet steak, and a decent shiraz to go with it.

Strange the things we miss here. I miss tinned spaghetti which I've never found anywhere, and big meat pies at a price I can afford.

Decent fish with my chips too. The horrid mush they serve here shouldn't be describes as fish. Chips are fine though.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, d2b2 said:

For me it was a combination of 

cheaper to live (allowing early retirement)

just wanted to get out of the country (politics and lifestyle in the USA was depressing)

warmer weather

 

Sure. 

[MaeJoMTB]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and big meat pies at a price I can afford.

Big meat pies are dead easy to make, pastry costs almost nothing (just flour/fat/water).

I usually make pasties, 'cos I can't be bothered with pie tins.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Big meat pies are dead easy to make, pastry costs almost nothing (just flour/fat/water).

I usually make pasties, 'cos I can't be bothered with pie tins.

Unless they can be made in a microwave, they are not an option for me.

I had a beauty bench top oven, but the evil SIL got that. Really makes me PO.

Anyway, not going to get another one as not permanent anywhere.

[MaeJoMTB]

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Unless they can be made in a microwave, they are not an option for me.

I had a beauty bench top oven, but the evil SIL got that. Really makes me PO.

Anyway, not going to get another one as not permanent anywhere.

Otto Pyrex oven, 900bht in Tesco, great for making a few pies/bread/cakes/biscuits/roasts/pizza.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Otto Pyrex oven, 900bht in Tesco, great for making a few pies/bread/cakes/pizza.

Too much junk to carry around already. I'd only have to give it away in a few months, but thanks anyway.

I'll just have to survive without meat pies .

[nikmar]

3 hours ago, Argus Tuft said:

Do you work in an IVF clinic?

Or are you just an old-fashioned incurable romantic...

After half a bottle of Sangsom there was not much in the way of romance.  :)

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Strange the things we miss here. I miss tinned spaghetti which I've never found anywhere, and big meat pies at a price I can afford.

Decent fish with my chips too. The horrid mush they serve here shouldn't be describes as fish. Chips are fine though.

Fish and chips at Duke's is reasonably edible. The Alpaca Cafe on the 1317 ( Chiang Mai ) makes the best spaghetti marinara I've had anywhere.

[norrska]

[norrska]

7 hours ago, gamini said:

I love the Thai people, their attitude towards life, Thai food and the wonderful friendships I have made with them. They are loyal and always very helpful. What I don't like about the country is the hordes of lowlife foreign trash living here now. I luckily don't have much to do with them and avoid them.

How do they feel about you?

[cyberfarang]

OTHER. Most of other in my opinion are those who try to escape the routines and the mundanes of their everyday lives back in their own countries.

 

For some Thailand may open new doors of happiness and for many others they find Thailand is not all it`s cracked up to be and end up in a kind of mental and emotional turmoil. All that they believed would happen, meeting great new people, forming wonderful relationships with women and living an exciting and thrilling lifestyles hasn`t materilalised. Sometimes they discover that Thailand is a lot more expensive then they first thought it would be and life becomes a budgeted boring existence for them.

 

The number one reason why westerners decide to stay in Thailand is escapism, for some it pays off and for many others it doesn`t.

 

 

 

[whiteman]

the main reason for me to stay in thailand is my partner of 15 years does not wish to live in my home country N.Z. And that is ok with me we are both happy here

[Berkshire]

2 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

OTHER. Most of other in my opinion are those who try to escape the routines and the mundanes of their everyday lives back in their own countries.

 

For some Thailand may open new doors of happiness and for many others they find Thailand is not all it`s cracked up to be and end up in a kind of mental and emotional turmoil. All that they believed would happen, meeting great new people, forming wonderful relationships with women and living an exciting and thrilling lifestyles hasn`t materilalised. Sometimes they discover that Thailand is a lot more expensive then they first thought it would be and life becomes a budgeted boring existence for them.

 

Happiness in Thailand boils down to expectations.  Be realistic.  If one is looking for a life companion, very possible in Thailand.  But if one thinks he'll be a Brad Pitt in Thailand, not going to happen.  Living comfortably on a western pension in Thailand?  Absolutely.  Living the lifestyle of the rich and famous on a pension?  No.  And Thais are not going to speak English like back home, drive like folks back home, or kiss-up to farangs like when you were a tourist.  Anyways, it's all about expectations.

[smotherb]

11 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

Why do I get the impression that "Expats living in Thailand" is defined as white, English speaking, delusional, straight males with so little to occupy their time that they responded to a poorly written, oddly phrased (a kind way of saying "functionally illiterate" or written while inebriated) survey.

 

"their domestic country??"  

 

" bonds were a far stronger rationale than sexual relationships – which would have come through from ‘women’ being selected."

 

"stereotypical images of old men with vests"

 

This is even worse than the typical TV survey and no more enlightening.  

 

You are certainly not seriously suggesting that our comments should not be made; if in response to a poorly written statement by a delusional functionally illiterate inebriated brain.

[poanoi]

9 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

 

The number one reason why westerners decide to stay in Thailand is escapism, for some it pays off and for many others it doesn`t.

 

 

 

when i think back, you are spot on,

in almost my entire life i wanted to flee the cold,

my alias was pablo the penguin,

and i think all scandinavians above all

wanted to escape the freezing hell

 

[trendflo]

No-one came for the women and ended up staying with some ladyboys.

[Ulysses G.]

On 2/20/2018 at 9:23 AM, swissie said:

1.59 % because of woman? I am rolling on the floor!

 

Indeed. Ignore the whole poll. A load of

[norrska]

12 hours ago, Berkshire said:

Happiness in Thailand boils down to expectations.  Be realistic.  If one is looking for a life companion, very possible in Thailand.  But if one thinks he'll be a Brad Pitt in Thailand, not going to happen.  Living comfortably on a western pension in Thailand?  Absolutely.  Living the lifestyle of the rich and famous on a pension?  No.  And Thais are not going to speak English like back home, drive like folks back home, or kiss-up to farangs like when you were a tourist.  Anyways, it's all about expectations.

You mean I am not a "hansum man".......I really believed it!