13 things I miss about living back in the UK

By Dan Cheeseman

 

 

As a sit on my balcony, with only a pair of shorts on looking out to sea and enjoying a cup of Tetley tea, it would be too easy to suggest I have found utopia. Firstly, utopia does not exist and secondly – however good it is living in Thailand – I do miss many things that come from living in the UK. I think as an expat it is easy to forget what these things are, but when you start penning a list it becomes quite extensive!

 

Now before you read on, this is not intended as a back handed slap in the face for Thailand. I have chosen Thailand as my home to live and the other qualities outweigh the negatives. I often feel I need to tread carefully when I dare have an opinion online! These are simple observations of my own about some of the positives I left behind in the UK when I came to live in Thailand.

 

1. Art and Culture
As I get older I realise how nourishing these kind of things are, when I was back in London recently I went to the theatre and loved it. There is very little in Thailand to stimulate you in quite such a way.

 

2. British Food and Supermarkets
Again, after a trip back to the UK, even a slice of toast tasted great. The bread quality in the UK is very high. Yes we do get some Western foods in Thailand but it’s still a very small concession area and it is expensive. I could taste the difference in the standard of food in just about all that I ate. Thai food is obviously superb in Thailand, but it’s even better when the meat is a better grade and for that you don’t get it from the street vendors.

 

Things I loved more than I realised when last back in the UK. A cup of tea tastes better, toast, fried breakfast, sausages and bacon, pies, range of soft drinks – that are not all carbonated and sugary like found in Thailand, chocolate, and eggs.

 

3. Good driving manners
Thailand is terrible, just terrible, when it comes to driving standards – and drivers are aggressive. In the UK there is order and common courtesy.

 

4. Able to go and watch a high level football match
I used to love going to watch Spurs play most home games in London, here I do get to see any live match on TV that I want – but nothing used to beat that whole day experience. A few beers in the local pub before the game, in the stadium and then a portion of chips on the way home. Simple pleasures.

 

5. Surrounded by stimulating conversation
Conversation by and large is not the same as it was for me in the UK. Occasionally I may meet people in the business world where I get stimulating conversations, but on the whole I feel starved. It is more common with Thais to be talking about food and fun topics and from some of the local expats here it is a more sedate affair. It is very difficult to find and if you do have a circle of friends in Thailand where you can talk current affairs, technology and the likes then you are very lucky.

 

6. Christmas
Nothing beats the Christmas feeling of being back in the UK. For starters, the whole nation celebrates this time of the year. In Thailand the only evidence of Christmas is when you go into one of the expat pubs and restaurants.

 

Full story: https://danaboutthailand.com/2018/03/12/13-things-i-miss-about-living-back-in-the-uk/

 

-- DAN ABOUT THAILAND 2018-03-12

 

"Stimulating conversation in Thailand."

LOL

1 hour ago, webfact said:

In Thailand the only evidence of Christmas is when you go into one of the expat pubs and restaurants.

 

Please tell me you are joking. Every school has activities for Christmas, every shopping mall has Christmas stuff up and selling.

Ah yes those grey skies,the pasty obese people,the damp,the cold.

I miss "the cool, cool rain that falls like tears from on high"

 

 

I miss the long summer days of mid June, when it doesn't get dark until almost 10pm.

USA:  Friends, Costco and In n Out Burger. That’s it. 

I miss scraping the ice from the windscreen in the morning.  But, I suppose I'll just have to live here without that stimulating habit; sometimes, life really sucks!

I  miss speed cameras on every corner and concealed cop cars if they don't happen to nab you. I miss the freezing cold weather in May, the grey skies, the charges racked up for absolutely everything.

I really do miss family and friends and not much else. Culture and the match live is nice, but that's so expensive I couldn't do that regularly anyway and I can get to take those in on my visits.

I get everything pretty much I want here. Might not be paradise but it'll do until I find it.

Why is almost every reply negative? Yeah, seems to be a trend on TV. There are some right miserable gits on here!

 

The thread is about what you miss, not what you don't miss.

1 hour ago, pearciderman said:

 

Please tell me you are joking. Every school has activities for Christmas, every shopping mall has Christmas stuff up and selling.

Besides, seen the bowing for the Islam,  the Christmas things might be a thing of the past, soon.

I miss the buying power of the pound.

I used to go back to UK every year for a few weeks. Then a couple of months and last year nearly 4 months. Slowly realising I prefer to be there and next week I return and plan to stay 6 months. 

 

The negatives in Thailand now often outweigh my reasons for living here and it's no longer cheap living.

 

I agree with the 13 list and would add cycling, walking in the countryside, woods, parks etc in UK. It is usually built on in Thailand and dangers of air pollution.  The food pesticide risks in Thailand are concerning for medium/long term health. Also the standard of healthcare here on the surface look fine. My experience repeatedly is that it is patchy with no accountability and is often found wanting.

I expect to return to Thailand for the Winter time only rather than staying for most of the year . 

 

I am actually looking forward to a life back home where life maybe slightly less free but one hell of a lot safer and equal to all.

Edited March 12, 20188 yr by twix38

4 hours ago, KittenKong said:

"Stimulating conversation in Thailand."

LOL

Expat conversation in Thailand "Bar girls, Beer, Bikes and Football" personally I prefer  the company of educated Thais

English food?? The poster must be joking. Especially when he talks about bread. They overcook all their meat and their vegetables are tasteless. In fact, you'll find better English food in Thailand. I have met a few who make such claims. But they like bland food. The only food I miss is Kippers, and salmon, but they are from Scotland!

How can you compare apples to mangoes?  They cannot practically be compared.  Its whatever you fancy or can afford at the time.

I miss English mars bars as the ones here are aweful. Weetabix here are lower quality I.e. UK are higher wheat content and have added vitamins and minerals. Not here.

I miss kippers too . tried some here and yuk!

Long list actually when think about it. Tea, blah blah

Biggest issue though us food quality as there is a real scandal here wrt pesticides and food safety 

England misses Dan.

40 minutes ago, gamini said:

English food?? The poster must be joking. Especially when he talks about bread. They overcook all their meat and their vegetables are tasteless. In fact, you'll find better English food in Thailand. I have met a few who make such claims. But they like bland food. The only food I miss is Kippers, and salmon, but they are from Scotland!

You can get salmon steaks in Macro, also smoked salmon at Villa Mart - same price as in the UK.  From Norway I think.

 

Lovely with asparagus, hollandaise sauce and a nice bit of garlic bread.  Yum, Yum.

56 minutes ago, gamini said:

English food?? The poster must be joking. Especially when he talks about bread. They overcook all their meat and their vegetables are tasteless. In fact, you'll find better English food in Thailand. I have met a few who make such claims. But they like bland food. The only food I miss is Kippers, and salmon, but they are from Scotland!

Thr bread here in thailand is virtually inedible,even the so  called multigrain,multi seeded are pale imitations. Your comment about overcooked is just a stereotype-you can cook for yourself and order rare steaks (not buffalo). I’m more worried about the reports of widespread insecticide contamination on vegetables here. 

Real ale and my friends and family are what i miss although real ale can be had in some tourist areas.

Fish and chips ?that's it

Sorry real ale as well even though I get it here at a cost.

Edited March 12, 20188 yr by gwynt

Paying council tax, water rates, sewage rates, parking fees and a few friends from  the local.

3 hours ago, Timbob said:

I miss the long summer days of mid June, when it doesn't get dark until almost 10pm.

In Scotland these long "summer" days can have lots of rain and wind.

2 hours ago, Timbob said:

Why is almost every reply negative? Yeah, seems to be a trend on TV. There are some right miserable gits on here!

 

The thread is about what you miss, not what you don't miss.

There are so many negative replies because the topic is about what you miss in the UK, which a lot of these "miserable gits" don't miss, and there is so much most expats from the UK don't miss.

6 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

In Scotland these long "summer" days can have lots of rain and wind.

I've never been to Scotland.

So why are you still here Dan?? 

You could blog from old blighty couldn't you? 

Just now, possum1931 said:

There are so many negative replies because the topic is about what you miss in the UK, which a lot of these "miserable gits" don't miss, and there is so much most expats from the UK don't miss.

Then start a thread titled "what I don't miss" and have a good old moan. 

 

I miss soft fruits (strawberries, raspberries, etc), extra thick cream, 'craft' ciders, and cheeses.

That's about it

1 hour ago, gamini said:

English food?? The poster must be joking. Especially when he talks about bread. They overcook all their meat and their vegetables are tasteless. In fact, you'll find better English food in Thailand. I have met a few who make such claims. But they like bland food. The only food I miss is Kippers, and salmon, but they are from Scotland!

I find that bread from 7-11 and Tesco Lotus stay fresher much longer than bread in Scotland.