I have won life’s lottery and can live anywhere I want. I choose BKK because it has less government restrictions on life, accessible younger women for rent, great food, lots of expats, cheap transportation and housing and great cheap medical care. I can’t buy a house in Thailand but I don’t really want to and I don’t care about politics or religion or marriage or schools. My adult kids are in USA and I never plan on marrying again. I do wish the air quality was better and BKk had more green park space. 

 

I read TVF and it is mainly complaints about Thais and Thailand although I have found Thailand and my expat and Thai friends helpful, gracious and friendly. Love to travel Thailand by car for fun. I spend less in BKk for a year for a great life than my sister spends in two months in San Francisco and my good friend spends for two months in Boston. I like New York City, London,  Paris and Munich but I would have to win the actual lottery to live there. 

 

So if you could live anywhere in the world where would that be and why?

Second more controversial question is why are you not living there now?

Interesting post from wilenhall UK. 

Moved to the pub. 

 

2 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Interesting post from wilhamm UK. 

I am vacationing in London and Europe for a while and missing Thailand. Except the cheese and wine in Europe are great and cheaper than BKK. 

If I was a multimillionaire I would live in New York.  I have always liked the place.  OK, the people aren't the friendliest, but the city has so much going for it, so much to see, so much to do, magnificent variety of eateries etc.  But I could never afford it for more than a holiday, sadly!

4 hours ago, Wake Up said:

I am vacationing in London and Europe for a while and missing Thailand. Except the cheese and wine in Europe are great and cheaper than BKK. 

So basically Thailand isn't that good.

5 hours ago, Wake Up said:

I have won life’s lottery and can live anywhere I want. I choose BKK because it has less government restrictions on life, accessible younger women for rent, great food, lots of expats, cheap transportation and housing and great cheap medical care.

If you won the lottery why would you care about cheap this and cheap that?

Personally I chose to live in Bangkok now because it is a lot of fun, not too expensive and enough business opportunities.

If I would win the lottery I would probably still live in Thailand somewhere on the beach with the limousine and private plane on standby if it gets too boring.

I have won life’s lottery and can live anywhere I want. I choose BKK because it has less government restrictions on life, accessible younger women for rent, great food, lots of expats, ....................I like New York City, London,  Paris and Munich but I would have to win the actual lottery to live there. 

So in fact you can't afford to live anywhere you want so you chose Thailand as the best of those you could.


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I'd bugger off from Thailand .like of yesterday

2 minutes ago, altcar bob said:

I'd bugger off from Thailand .like of yesterday

The question is: where to?

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The question is: where to?

Why live anywhere fulltime? You could travel all over first class if money was no object.

Maybe not one place but parts of the year in Switzerland , Czech Republic , Seychelles , New Zealand .

Id fly around going to big sporting events and concerts. In between do wine, cheese and whisky tours.

 

 

 

 

 

Somewhere on my boat called Ermis II 

 

38 minutes ago, BuaBS said:

Maybe not one place but parts of the year in Switzerland , Czech Republic , Seychelles , New Zealand .

I was on a weekend holiday in Prague the Czech Republic about 25 years ago and I liked it. But I wasn't so impressed that I would put this in the top five list. What is your reason to include the Czech Republic in your list?

If luck is on my side this year, anywhere but Pattaya.....turned into a right shi*'hole of a spot and getting worse by the day....???

Just now, chicowoodduck said:

If luck is on my side this year, anywhere but Pattaya.....turned into a right shi*'hole of a spot and getting worse by the day....???

When do you think this "turned into" happened? I was there the first time more than 20 years ago, then for a while a weekend every few month and now it's probably two years ago when I was there the last time. I see the attraction to have fun for a weekend. But even 20 years ago it was not exactly a place to live (except you like to have every day beer for breakfast).

11 minutes ago, chicowoodduck said:

If luck is on my side this year, anywhere but Pattaya.....turned into a right shi*'hole of a spot and getting worse by the day....???

People said that 20 years ago.

"I have won life’s lottery and can live anywhere I want. I choose BKK because it has less government restrictions on life, accessible younger women for rent, great food, lots of expats, cheap transportation and housing and great cheap medical care".

 

 

While all of the above amenities are certainly important, I would personally give the greater weight of my decision to choosing a society where the people are exceptionally friendly, welcoming and hospitable. For those of us who have spent any time at all in Thailand we have figured out that all the "smiles" are just for show and we Westerners are truly not accepted and are "on our own" in this society. If I had it to do it all over again I would stay clear of Thailand. I lived in the Philippines for 11 years back in the '80's and I found the Filipinos to have a Western mentality and extremely welcoming and accommodating to Americans. I felt as if I was treated with dignity and respect above all other places that I have lived or visited in this world. I actually felt like a king, and that season of my life was the magical experience of a lifetime. Your social foundation will be the cornerstone of your peace and happiness going forward after you uproot yourself from your home country, so choose wisely or your new resident country could suck the life right out of you.

 

Go to YouTube and check out as much as you can about Bonifacio Global City and also Makati. You will be thoroughly impressed I assure you.  

Spain....great wine, food and football.  

8 hours ago, mstevens said:

If I was a multimillionaire I would live in New York.  I have always liked the place.  OK, the people aren't the friendliest, but the city has so much going for it, so much to see, so much to do, magnificent variety of eateries etc.  But I could never afford it for more than a holiday, sadly!

So you think everyone in Manhattan is an unfriendly multimillionaire? Yeah, maybe better you stay under your rock. 

22 minutes ago, blazes said:

Spain....great wine, food and football.  

I can't stand one person with a lisp. A whole country full of them would drive me nuts. 

Before moving to Thailand I lived for a number of years in a very small village in the Chianti hills about 40 minutes drive south of Florence .

I was friends with nearly everyone in the village , as well as having many friends in and around Florence .  Living in Thailand has many merits when you are elderly and without a lot of money to spend .  I have a very peaceful life with my much younger beautiful Thai wife .  We live in her house , much renovated and modernized by me , set in the heart of a big rural Isaan village . We can live very comfortably on a seemingly minuscule income as compared to Europe , no taxes , no worries .  The problems are lack of conversation , being told to shut up when I try to start a conversation ; yes language is a problem , but many Thais , even university educated , have very little general knowledge , so even with fluent Thai there is little to talk about .  I do have some very good English speaking friends whom I see occasionally .  I grew up in an educated and cultured family , I enjoy , good literature , fine art , classical music , opera and theatre , these are aspects of life I miss terribly , friends that are knowledgeable of world affairs and many other subjects .  I am for the most part content to live in rural Thailand ; but , if I won a fortune on the lottery I would go back to live in my beloved Tuscan village , or perhaps at 81 years old , the city of Florence might be better , among my remaining friends and with a wealth of cultural interests to enjoy .   

Just now, csabo said:

I can't stand one person with a lisp. A whole country full of them would drive me nuts. 

Post of the week

56 minutes ago, fittobethaied said:

those of us who have spent any time at all in Thailand we have figured out that all the "smiles" are just for show and we Westerners are truly not accepted and are "on our own" in this society.

That is not the experience of near everyone that I know who has spent a lot of time in Thailand... especially so amongst people who have taken the initiative to integrate, learn language & culture and get outside of the tourist areas... 

10 minutes ago, Toscano said:

Before moving to Thailand I lived for a number of years in a very small village in the Chianti hills about 40 minutes drive south of Florence .

I was friends with nearly everyone in the village , as well as having many friends in and around Florence .  Living in Thailand has many merits when you are elderly and without a lot of money to spend .  I have a very peaceful life with my much younger beautiful Thai wife .  We live in her house , much renovated and modernized by me , set in the heart of a big rural Isaan village . We can live very comfortably on a seemingly minuscule income as compared to Europe , no taxes , no worries .  The problems are lack of conversation , being told to shut up when I try to start a conversation ; yes language is a problem , but many Thais , even university educated , have very little general knowledge , so even with fluent Thai there is little to talk about .  I do have some very good English speaking friends whom I see occasionally .  I grew up in an educated and cultured family , I enjoy , good literature , fine art , classical music , opera and theatre , these are aspects of life I miss terribly , friends that are knowledgeable of world affairs and many other subjects .  I am for the most part content to live in rural Thailand ; but , if I won a fortune on the lottery I would go back to live in my beloved Tuscan village , or perhaps at 81 years old , the city of Florence might be better , among my remaining friends and with a wealth of cultural interests to enjoy .   

Why do you live in rural Thailand in Isan if you want fine art , classical music , opera and theatre, etc.? It's like loving the beech and living on top of a mountain ...

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I was on a weekend holiday in Prague the Czech Republic about 25 years ago and I liked it. But I wasn't so impressed that I would put this in the top five list. What is your reason to include the Czech Republic in your list?

Very nice girls. And beer.

 

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why do you live in rural Thailand in Isan if you want fine art , classical music , opera and theatre, etc.? It's like loving the beech and living on top of a mountain ...

He followed someone from Isaan home and couldn't find the road back.

1 minute ago, wgdanson said:

Very nice girls. And beer.

 

Poland as well. 

8 hours ago, mstevens said:

If I was a multimillionaire I would live in New York.  I have always liked the place.  OK, the people aren't the friendliest, but the city has so much going for it, so much to see, so much to do, magnificent variety of eateries etc.  But I could never afford it for more than a holiday, sadly!

I once spent a long weekend in New York to visit my elderly uncle who lived there . I spent days touring the city seeing the recommended sites , everywhere I went by bus or metro I found people exceptionally friendly and helpful , advising me if I had to change bus and direction or where to get off .

Though I married an American of a charming family , I have never liked America other than the Appalachians and national parks .  My 2 adult sons and their families live there , but I would never choose to live in America to be near my sons and have little wish to even visit .

1 hour ago, fittobethaied said:

For those of us who have spent any time at all in Thailand we have figured out that all the "smiles" are just for show and we Westerners are truly not accepted and are "on our own" in this society. If I had it to do it all over again I would stay clear of Thailand.

Thailand has lots of friendly people and some not so desirable characters. I live here since 20 years, by now my Thai reasonable, and I am comfortable with most people.

I think the important part is live and let live. Farangs and Thais are different in many ways. And often I think there is no "better" - it's just different. As long as we accept each other then everything is ok. If a farang wants to tell Thais how to live then sure that will create frictions. And if farangs feel they have to live somewhere in a Thai village according to the village rules then I guess that is also not easy or even depressing. It's up to us to chose where we live and with whom we live together. There are many friendly Thais out there. If you don't see them then maybe you should ask yourself why that is the case.