Leaving Thailand after 13 Years..

[Poottrong]

52 minutes ago, manjara said:

Just as bad, if not worse! (If you were a Thai doing it!)

I've not really met any thais I would call friends though, all are at the acquaintance level. I can't, and don't, complain about that, as my thai skills are not really up to a meaningful conversation! 

If a Thai went to the UK and only spoke basic English, it would be hard for people to bond with them too! 

Perhaps it's the circles that I'm involved in, but I haven't met many Thais that are actually interested in things non-Thai, though I guess they would have to speak some English to be able to express it to me.

 

Even with the language (I speak Thai well) you will still find it’s the same situation in regards to friendship.

[bwpage3]

On 7/27/2018 at 8:16 AM, Poottrong said:

It's called downsizing and a lot of people enjoy the experience of simplifying their lives. I know I have. Doesn't mean we're all living in "tin shacks" though.

It's called downsizing and a lot of people enjoy the experience of simplifying their lives

 

Why does a person have to move 10,000 miles from their home to a foreign land, language and culture to downsize?

 

Moving 10,000 miles away to a place you weren't born in is not simplifying with all the rules , regulations and nuances of Thailand.

 

Maybe if you stated downsizing the costs. 

[The manic]

15 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

It's called downsizing and a lot of people enjoy the experience of simplifying their lives

 

Why does a person have to move 10,000 miles from their home to a foreign land, language and culture to downsize?

 

Moving 10,000 miles away to a place you weren't born in is not simplifying with all the rules , regulations and nuances of Thailand.

 

Maybe if you stated downsizing the costs. 

"Why does a person have to move 10,000 miles from their home to a foreign land, language and culture to downsize?"

 

The weather? The fun? The food? The prices. The difference in the way of life.

Edited July 30, 2018 by The manic

[bwpage3]

On 7/27/2018 at 11:18 PM, Batty said:

 

So your calling me a cock.  Thanks.

 

You are analyzing with cliches and sound like an student physiologist and I dont mean to be rude in suggesting that error as many people do the same.  But I must be honest and say Its such a boring, well trodden reasoning to suggest "there is another guy, running from his problems, head buried in sand, scared to go home".  Christ mate its so dull and predictable and its almost always the first port of call when two chaps on a bar stool (or concrete table outside a maa paa shop) are blasting a fellow ex pat.  This guy has issues.  Clearly here to escape something.

 

Some of us just stumbled here through, I admit, absolute ignorance at worst and lack of planning at best.  I am here after 15 years because... it just happened.  Cant that be a reason?  Must I be a social misfit who didn't fair well back home with people?  Or a fat stinking mess with zero charm, unable to chat up the birds back home and bailed to Thailand heading straight to the go go bars?  Make sure to wai the mamasan on your way in you know, respect local culture.  Then see how many fingers you can get up number 32.  Go on lad.

 

I had a pretty good life back home, quite eventful and dam good fun.  I had a mobile phone dealership selling contract phones on-line from 2001 through 2003 and in July of that year the business imploded for reasons out of my control.  I walked away with 30 grand, a rented house (no ties) no kids, and a car.  I thought sod it, I am 30, lets do a bit of traveling, spend 20 of the 30 grand I have and then come back and start another business.  I needed a break.  America sounds fun and I had visited a few times as a kid.  And with very little planning I decided on flying to Los Angeles and starting there.  Only I didn't.  During my final customer credit check with Orange on the phone (cell/mobile phone company in UK) I got chatting to the agent about moving to America.  He had just come back from Thailand, and told me about the way of life there, the cheap villas on the beach you can rent.  Fried rice and chicken with a beer for a pound.  Friendly locals. The beautiful women who love westerners.  Amazing islands and adventurous mountain destinations. And all around it, you have these mad countries to explore like Vietnam, Loas, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong. I randomly searched 'house for rent in Thailand' and this amazing 3 bed house popped up, surrounded by coconut trees, 5 minutes from a beach. 300 pounds a month.  I had spent that much the night before on a bender in London, I remember thinking.  300 pounds!  For a villa!  On an island!

 

I remember sitting on expedia website with two browser windows open, one for a L.A flight and one for flight to Koh Samui, undecided.  Eventually I chose koh Samui, booked a flight, put my furniture, car and electrical stuff in a lock up on a 6 month contract and buggered off to Thailand, telling my pals and family I would see them at the end of the year.  Everyone was surprised I was doing it, but pleased for me.  It was In hindsight looking back, totally random, deciding to travel.  I suspect if I had put more thought into it I would have stayed back home.

 

They call it chaos theory, dont they?  How a single small event can change the course of humanity?  I ponder that from time to time.  The Orange call center had 500 agents.  If I hadn't spoke to that one particular guy, at that very time, i would have never traveled to Thailand.  I wasn't even sure where it was to be honest.

 

I had so much fun in koh Samui, 6 months turned into 2 years but I burnt out.  I had spent a lot of time on the beer and partying I needed to move on.  So I went to Bangkok for a year and did even more partying.  How does that make sense?  Burn out in Koh Samui, so move to Bangkok?  I have no idea what I was thinking in that decision. So, even more burnt out after a year living just off Soi 4 and now at 33, I decided to move to kanchanaburi where it is green, lush, laid back, and cute.  A perfect place to slow down a bit.  I stayed there for 5 years and played golf in the day, and set up an on line business that I worked on at night, which did very well.  During no point in this first 8 years did I ever think 'ok, what am I doing?' Is this my life now?'.  Family and friends always pestered me about coming home.  What are you doing out there?  Why are you still there? But I never had an answer.  Its honestly something I never thought about.  I took everything day by day and just figured one day I will go home, when I feel like it.

 

More years went past and eventually I met a great girl, moved North and got married, brought a house and settled down.  My dad died 3 years ago and during that time I went home 3 or 4 times a year while he was sick and it was at this point that I woke up a little a realized that I had pretty much abandoned my country and suddenly missed it.  I would land at Heathrow and there would always be 2 or 3 friends waiting for me, before we headed off to the pub to meet more friends and have a great night.  I would spend the days visiting my Dad and family and aimlessly driving around the countryside, remembering how nice it is back there, wondering why I abandoned it, and the nights in the pub with mates having a great laugh.  It just suddenly happened over those 2 or 3 years of visiting the UK - I became uber home sick - and every time I returned to Thailand I felt bummed out to be back.

 

I guess I just stumbled here through blind chance, failed to plan, and woke up 15 years later thinking bugger, I am still here?  I own a house and stuff?

 

I built an amazing on-line business through my time here and now it is over, I regret squandering the money I made from it.  I could have saved easily enough to buy a bloody huge house back home but I didn't.  I was an idiot. Business class flights everywhere, hotels always had to be Hiltons, Sheratons, Mariots.  Wardrobe after wardrobe of expensive clothes. Bikes, cars.  All the trappings. I had friends in Miami and over a 4 year period I would fly there, business class, three times a year for 3 weeks each visit, blowing money. I look back on all that now and think I guess I wasn't truly happy here and filled a void with crap that I didn't need.  I got jaded with the bar scene years ago, got fed up with golf and for a good few years didn't do very much here: just a quiet life with lavish holidays back home, Miami, Caribbean, and all over S.E.Asia mixed in.  I should have been honest with myself at the time and admitted I wasn't truly happy in Thailand, time to go home.  But for some reason I just figured everything would work itself out and plodded on, with no plan, spending money.  And when you have money, it is easy to use it to fudge over problems.  And for that reason, I wouldn't blame you for calling me a cock.  It was foolish and short sighted and now the business is over and I am making a modest living, I feel stupid.  For a bright guy, I made a dumb mistake of winging it in life with zero plan.  So fair enough - call me a cock for that, because I am.

 

But I am most definitely not a cock in the way you might imply.  I am not a social misfit, I can easily sit in a bar full of strangers and tell a few stories, get everyone laughing.  I do have some measure of charm, unlike some of the morons you meet sometimes here whose soul level of concern lies with the cost of Chang going up at Dream Girl bar, baked beans in Macro being too saucy, and how Davids wife is cheating on him with a Thai guy.  I just made the mistake of taking everything for granted, failing to plan: and now i miss home, dont realy want to live here anymore, but cant just 'go back' and sofa surf with my wife who I adore, watching her suffer with the same feelings I have now in being home sick for her country and family/friends.  If I had a good few hundred grand in the bank I would buy a house back there and spend the summers there with her.  Or leave her here and get my fix of England for 3 months a year.  Either of those scenarios would be fine for me and I would enjoy the other 9 months in Thailand quite happily.  Maybe one day it will happen, I do have a track record of getting back on top financially when chips are down so maybe I will make something else work and get the money together in a few years.  Or maybe crypto currency will go up ten fold and I can cash in and do it that way.  

 

But for the time being, here I am.  Just a bloke who didn't plan and stumbled here, for a long time.  Its not a bad life, dont get me wrong - I own a house, a couple of nice cars and bikes, owe no money to anyone and have potential to make a living.  I just feel a bit bored and lost here these days. It suddenly feels arbitrary, my living here.  I feel silly for not predicting this years ago, and stupid for not being wiser with my money. 

 

Feel free anyone to analyze all this but let me be clear - you can jazz this up however you like but I am telling you now, there is no underlying reason for 'bailing' on the UK.  It just happened.

 

 

Very enlightening and honest post. Rare to see someone actually telling the truth.

[The manic]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

Nice post...……..and several people on these threads have mentioned Portugal as a place to retire.

 

Have now searched the net for info...………………...

 

 

 

 

I've lived and worked in Portugal. It's not as much fun a Thailand. Its not as mad as Spain. The language can be a problem for deep, real conversations. They will be able to understand your simple poruguese but you wont understand their portugues. It's not cheap anymore. But I enjoyed living there in the 80s and travelled all round the country.

Edited July 30, 2018 by The manic

[JLCrab]

So I guess the long post a few notches above just shows you the danger of moving to Thailand without an advanced degree, huh?

[Poottrong]

39 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

It's called downsizing and a lot of people enjoy the experience of simplifying their lives

 

Why does a person have to move 10,000 miles from their home to a foreign land, language and culture to downsize?

 

Maybe because they like it here (or at least did when they decided to move) and/or there was a woman/women in the picture and they were quite happy to shed a lot of the costly materialistic stuff that was never really important to them in the process.

[gk10002000]

On ‎7‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 8:49 PM, BritManToo said:

What if the rest of your life is 6 months?

What use will the extra money be then?

sure.  And what if I spend all my money in ten years, then am one of the guys sitting at the end of Pattaya Klang in 100 baht flip flops and no medical insurance.  whatever approach one takes, others will say that is wrong.  That's fine.  I live a comfortable life now, and enjoy my engineering work so one year to lock up a bunch more money for retirement is no issue for me.  

[Jimbo53]

On 7/21/2018 at 5:14 PM, markusss said:

I first came here in 2001 but moved here in 2005 when I was 30. If I'd spent the last 13 years in Aus  I'm sure I'd be wondering what it would have been like to live elsewhere, and I'd maybe feel there was something missing in life, and that I would've, could've, should've done it when I had the chance. 

 

I have no prospects as far as relationships go over there, though it is interesting that you ask as it has crossed my mind.

 

And you're right to ask- It is me that's changed. All the fundamental things that make Thailand what it is still remain the same. It's like a relationship in that way. 

 

A close friend has offered me a place to stay on the south east coast of Australia. It's an amazing part of the country but as for living there full time is concerned I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. I'm in a position to move there on a temporary basis to try it out first, so it's possible to come back if i choose to. My friend is pretty supportive about this and only wants the best for me. 

Get yourself back to Oz cobber, you wont regret it,theres always one of those big birds u can hop on if your needing a bit of Oriental Spice in the future!after 12 yrs I opted to go back to the UK rather than Oz,(Dual Citizenship) mainly due to my sons health problems,and myself being on the verge of retirement,and my own future healthcare,as my private insurance in Thailand was $2k/yr.and was pretty crap.

Your at an age where your still  in a position to get back into the workforce,have a good quality of life,and regenerate some of the grey matter that you would have undoubtedly  lost over your time in Thailand.Good Luck.

[manjara]

As a summary, I don't dislike Thailand as a place to visit, but living here is difficult for ME because of :

 - Lack of level playing field in business, and just general obstacles placed in the way of you earning a decent living here, rather than bringing one from outside. (btw, I would not NEED to work in Thailand, but it still irritates me)

 - Visa requirements, reporting etc

 - Excessive taxes/costs on non-Thai stuff (wine, cars, cheese etc) and complete lottery when importing anything!

 - Lack of Quality in most things you buy here (or see above)

 

But on the other hand, the things I love about Thailand:

 - Wonderful food available at very low cost, either buying the ingredients or the finished product from a street vendor

 - Hours of massage for the equivalent of the cost of a bottle of wine at home!

 - A lot of freedom from regulation (real or imagined) 

 - Friendliness of the people (at least on the surface level) , generally the poorer thais rather than the better off!

 - Amazing countryside, beaches, flora & fauna

 - Swimming year round without freezing!

 

All the benefits I can get from visiting on a regular basis, but if I live in thailand for 12 months a year, then the negatives start to dominate. 

The other point I'm trying to make here is that people who have lived in Thailand for many years should try their home country again, they may find that the things that brought them to Thailand in the first place are no longer true. 

I can live pretty cheaply in the UK if I want to, and have more fulfilling friendships than I have in Thailand. Ok, I will baulk at the cost of Somtam and pra-ra, but on balance, I'll be happier having my base in the UK (or somewhere else) than Thailand!

 

That finishes my input to this very entertaining thread!

[GinBoy2]

People get very judgmental in these types of threads.

Who ever moves anywhere thinking it's for ever? I've lived in different States of the US, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand. Liked them, hated them, depending on my mood I guess.

Thailand worked for me for10 years, then it didn't. Don't hate it, still like it for a vacation. Might that change in a few years and I might want to return full time? Maybe, who knows!

We're human, some of us have wander lust and can't really control how that works in our head.

I would say however, as I've got older, the allure of foreign parts has declined. Whereas when I was younger I was prepared to deal with 'inconveniences' now sometimes it's just nice to have familiarity.

Vacations are fine, short time and you're in a bubble.

But again. might change my mind n a few years....or I just might be dead! LOL

Edited July 30, 2018 by GinBoy2

[blackcab]

I recently posted how much I enjoyed reading this thread. Since then things have started to go downhill somewhat.

 

Recent posters are all long standing members. You all know that the idea is to discuss the post and not the poster.

 

I am politely asking you all to refrain from derailing an excellent thread.

[billd766]

Having read the thread all the way through it seems to me that many of the posters like me didn't want to sit inside the box and were willing to change course/life/etc to improve.

 

None of those posters have a negative output on life but rather take life by the horns and DO something about it.

 

IMHO it is the willingness to change and move on that is most important rather than trying to blame everything and everybody else.

 

If plan A doesn't work out then go to plan B, C etc and try that.

[metisdead]

A post in violation of the following has been removed:

 

1) You will not express disrespect of the King of Thailand or any one member of the Thai royal family, whether living or deceased, nor to criticize the monarchy as an institution.

 

By law, the Thai Royal Family are above politics. Speculation, comments and discussion of either a political or personal nature are not allowed when discussing HM The King or the Royal family.

 

To breach these rules may result in immediate ban.

 

Linking to external sites which break these rules will be treated as if you yourself posted them.

[LomSak27]

On 7/30/2018 at 6:03 PM, The manic said:

I've lived and worked in Portugal. It's not as much fun a Thailand. Its not as mad as Spain. The language can be a problem for deep, real conversations. They will be able to understand your simple poruguese but you wont understand their portugues. It's not cheap anymore. But I enjoyed living there in the 80s and travelled all round the country.

As the OP was about leaving Thailand. Might try to steer it in that direction. Your post is all reasons Portugal doesn’t work for you. Got that and understand it. I am actively looking into a number of other places …, Bali, Greece, Cyprus, buy a boat and seasonally cruise the inside passage, etc. so this is my take, using your post as a springboard. Why Portugal could work for me.
 

Fun - After 4 decades, not really looking for fun, although a consideration. I have had to live, work, in non-exciting places, as in I am able to keep myself entertained, and my friends find entertainment and enjoyment in Portugal so for me not an issue.
 

 Language - because sheer amount of time spent in Thailand, my language is good, in spite of myself. However, I was trying to think when was the last time I had a deep meaningful conversation in Thai. I’ll get back to you when I remember.  Moving on.

Cheap - I’m not looking for, nor do I have to look for, bottom dollar. Frugal, sure, but not the main consideration.

Finally, something I mentioned in my previous post. There is a passive aggressive not nice attitude now. Someone here on TV will always say, well get out of the tourist areas, yadda, yadda, yadda. I spend a lot of time in a non-tourist city, a city that does NOT have a lot of tourists or expats.  A Westerner who works at a local UNI calls it LOS – “Land Of Scowls”. Wow And he is right. That cuts out all the, ‘well it’s because of tourists’  that the apologists here trot out. And I know this all too well.
 

Which leaves me ambivalent. I came back post millennium because of the time I spent here in the 80’s I knew it would never be the same and I knew that coming in. Time spent, years spent, Now I am at retirement, its tipping the other way. As it is easier, looking at the Indonesia option this week to weekend. Might as well do my homework.

[blackcab]

Previously, members were asked to refrain from derailing this thread. Sadly, my request was ignored.

 

As a result of this I have removed a number of off topic, inflammatory and baiting posts, including replies that quoted such posts. If the same members who posted these comments further insist on trying to derail the thread then I will issue posting holidays.

[xylophone]

In the early days I would come here on a number of occasions, sometimes up to 2 months at a time, just to see if I could get used to living in the place.

 

I was always pleased to get back to NZ because I used to convince myself that this place "wasn't the real world", so never really did make up my mind for some time until I started coming here month on, month off in 2006/7 and then the place started to grow on me, so much so that I moved here full-time in 2007.

 

I have been back to NZ and Australia on quite a few occasions since then and was always pleased to get back, and on one or two occasions had thought about the idea of staying there, however Thailand/Phuket pulled me back, to such an extent that I miss it terribly now when I go back to the home country.

 

So leaving wouldn't be easy for me now especially as I have friends and sort of a "family" here, and as I think I did put in another post, this looks like the place I will stay unless life for us expats becomes a little too uncomfortable with the likes of jumping through hoops with annual paperwork and 90 day reports etc.

 

Would love to hear from the OP once he has got back home and been there for a while, what his thoughts are then?

 

[cleverman]

16 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

As the OP was about leaving Thailand. Might try to steer it in that direction. Your post is all reasons Portugal doesn’t work for you. Got that and understand it. I am actively looking into a number of other places …, Bali, Greece, Cyprus, buy a boat and seasonally cruise the inside passage, etc. so this is my take, using your post as a springboard. Why Portugal could work for me.
 

Fun - After 4 decades, not really looking for fun, although a consideration. I have had to live, work, in non-exciting places, as in I am able to keep myself entertained, and my friends find entertainment and enjoyment in Portugal so for me not an issue.
 

 Language - because sheer amount of time spent in Thailand, my language is good, in spite of myself. However, I was trying to think when was the last time I had a deep meaningful conversation in Thai. I’ll get back to you when I remember.  Moving on.

Cheap - I’m not looking for, nor do I have to look for, bottom dollar. Frugal, sure, but not the main consideration.

Finally, something I mentioned in my previous post. There is a passive aggressive not nice attitude now. Someone here on TV will always say, well get out of the tourist areas, yadda, yadda, yadda. I spend a lot of time in a non-tourist city, a city that does NOT have a lot of tourists or expats.  A Westerner who works at a local UNI calls it LOS – “Land Of Scowls”. Wow And he is right. That cuts out all the, ‘well it’s because of tourists’  that the apologists here trot out. And I know this all too well.
 

Which leaves me ambivalent. I came back post millennium because of the time I spent here in the 80’s I knew it would never be the same and I knew that coming in. Time spent, years spent, Now I am at retirement, its tipping the other way. As it is easier, looking at the Indonesia option this week to weekend. Might as well do my homework.

Indonesia, one year rental contract and one year insurance ,health, required,but,same as LOS, an agent can arrange things.

[BobbyL]

We moved back here from England last year. We are both still young so living here is good for now. Not sure how I will feel in ten or so years when I am 40. Some things here really do annoy me. 

[manjara]

On 8/1/2018 at 10:44 AM, LomSak27 said:

As the OP was about leaving Thailand. Might try to steer it in that direction. Your post is all reasons Portugal doesn’t work for you. Got that and understand it. I am actively looking into a number of other places …, Bali, Greece, Cyprus, buy a boat and seasonally cruise the inside passage, etc. so this is my take, using your post as a springboard. Why Portugal could work for me.
 

Fun - After 4 decades, not really looking for fun, although a consideration. I have had to live, work, in non-exciting places, as in I am able to keep myself entertained, and my friends find entertainment and enjoyment in Portugal so for me not an issue.
 

 Language - because sheer amount of time spent in Thailand, my language is good, in spite of myself. However, I was trying to think when was the last time I had a deep meaningful conversation in Thai. I’ll get back to you when I remember.  Moving on.

Cheap - I’m not looking for, nor do I have to look for, bottom dollar. Frugal, sure, but not the main consideration.

Finally, something I mentioned in my previous post. There is a passive aggressive not nice attitude now. Someone here on TV will always say, well get out of the tourist areas, yadda, yadda, yadda. I spend a lot of time in a non-tourist city, a city that does NOT have a lot of tourists or expats.  A Westerner who works at a local UNI calls it LOS – “Land Of Scowls”. Wow And he is right. That cuts out all the, ‘well it’s because of tourists’  that the apologists here trot out. And I know this all too well.
 

Which leaves me ambivalent. I came back post millennium because of the time I spent here in the 80’s I knew it would never be the same and I knew that coming in. Time spent, years spent, Now I am at retirement, its tipping the other way. As it is easier, looking at the Indonesia option this week to weekend. Might as well do my homework.

I said I wasn't going to comment any more here, but there was some good insight in this post that I wanted to respond to.

 

Portugal is a great place although its almost 20 years since I lived there. It was definitely fun, but that might be partly to do with the fact that I was going out with a stunning 18-year-old Portuguese girl. Food was great, people were friendly, wine was cheap, and the Atlantic is amazing (even in the winter!).

I have a theory that one of the reasons the Thais are becoming passive aggressive, is because they see that the Farang (not ALL farang!) are not 'invested' in Thailand, which is of course, because the farang are not allowed to invest in thailand and always made to think that they could be kicked out at any time or that they only want to extract as much money from you as possible.  If you want people to care about  the community and the people then you need to make them feel part of it, rather than have the attitude that it's Thailand for the Thais! (we're guilty of this in the UK to some extent too, but at least the law is fairer!), i.e. it's institutionalised in Thailand!

 

Thailand needs to decide if it's going to be insular or open its doors and laws, to allow people to become Thai and fully invest in the country. Make it easy to do business, to stay and build up assets, without being already rich (and uninterested?). Some farang do it, but let's face it, they are the exception!

 

[Poottrong]

8 hours ago, manjara said:

 If you want people to care about  the community and the people then you need to make them feel part of it, rather than have the attitude that it's Thailand for the Thais! (we're guilty of this in the UK to some extent too, but at least the law is fairer!), i.e. it's institutionalised in Thailand!

 

Thailand needs to decide if it's going to be insular or open its doors and laws, to allow people to become Thai and fully invest in the country. Make it easy to do business, to stay and build up assets, without being already rich (and uninterested?). Some farang do it, but let's face it, they are the exception!

 

Seems to have worked out pretty well for Japan though? Given the problems in the West with open doors and multiculturalism I can see why Thailand and other Asian countries don't see that as a natural fit for them and would prefer something along the lines of what Japan or South Korea has done.

[lannarebirth]

On 7/27/2018 at 8:18 PM, Batty said:

 

So your calling me a cock.  Thanks.

 

You are analyzing with cliches and sound like an student physiologist and I dont mean to be rude in suggesting that error as many people do the same.  But I must be honest and say Its such a boring, well trodden reasoning to suggest "there is another guy, running from his problems, head buried in sand, scared to go home".  Christ mate its so dull and predictable and its almost always the first port of call when two chaps on a bar stool (or concrete table outside a maa paa shop) are blasting a fellow ex pat.  This guy has issues.  Clearly here to escape something.

 

Some of us just stumbled here through, I admit, absolute ignorance at worst and lack of planning at best.  I am here after 15 years because... it just happened.  Cant that be a reason?  Must I be a social misfit who didn't fair well back home with people?  Or a fat stinking mess with zero charm, unable to chat up the birds back home and bailed to Thailand heading straight to the go go bars?  Make sure to wai the mamasan on your way in you know, respect local culture.  Then see how many fingers you can get up number 32.  Go on lad.

 

I had a pretty good life back home, quite eventful and dam good fun.  I had a mobile phone dealership selling contract phones on-line from 2001 through 2003 and in July of that year the business imploded for reasons out of my control.  I walked away with 30 grand, a rented house (no ties) no kids, and a car.  I thought sod it, I am 30, lets do a bit of traveling, spend 20 of the 30 grand I have and then come back and start another business.  I needed a break.  America sounds fun and I had visited a few times as a kid.  And with very little planning I decided on flying to Los Angeles and starting there.  Only I didn't.  During my final customer credit check with Orange on the phone (cell/mobile phone company in UK) I got chatting to the agent about moving to America.  He had just come back from Thailand, and told me about the way of life there, the cheap villas on the beach you can rent.  Fried rice and chicken with a beer for a pound.  Friendly locals. The beautiful women who love westerners.  Amazing islands and adventurous mountain destinations. And all around it, you have these mad countries to explore like Vietnam, Loas, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong. I randomly searched 'house for rent in Thailand' and this amazing 3 bed house popped up, surrounded by coconut trees, 5 minutes from a beach. 300 pounds a month.  I had spent that much the night before on a bender in London, I remember thinking.  300 pounds!  For a villa!  On an island!

 

I remember sitting on expedia website with two browser windows open, one for a L.A flight and one for flight to Koh Samui, undecided.  Eventually I chose koh Samui, booked a flight, put my furniture, car and electrical stuff in a lock up on a 6 month contract and buggered off to Thailand, telling my pals and family I would see them at the end of the year.  Everyone was surprised I was doing it, but pleased for me.  It was In hindsight looking back, totally random, deciding to travel.  I suspect if I had put more thought into it I would have stayed back home.

 

They call it chaos theory, dont they?  How a single small event can change the course of humanity?  I ponder that from time to time.  The Orange call center had 500 agents.  If I hadn't spoke to that one particular guy, at that very time, i would have never traveled to Thailand.  I wasn't even sure where it was to be honest.

 

I had so much fun in koh Samui, 6 months turned into 2 years but I burnt out.  I had spent a lot of time on the beer and partying I needed to move on.  So I went to Bangkok for a year and did even more partying.  How does that make sense?  Burn out in Koh Samui, so move to Bangkok?  I have no idea what I was thinking in that decision. So, even more burnt out after a year living just off Soi 4 and now at 33, I decided to move to kanchanaburi where it is green, lush, laid back, and cute.  A perfect place to slow down a bit.  I stayed there for 5 years and played golf in the day, and set up an on line business that I worked on at night, which did very well.  During no point in this first 8 years did I ever think 'ok, what am I doing?' Is this my life now?'.  Family and friends always pestered me about coming home.  What are you doing out there?  Why are you still there? But I never had an answer.  Its honestly something I never thought about.  I took everything day by day and just figured one day I will go home, when I feel like it.

 

More years went past and eventually I met a great girl, moved North and got married, brought a house and settled down.  My dad died 3 years ago and during that time I went home 3 or 4 times a year while he was sick and it was at this point that I woke up a little a realized that I had pretty much abandoned my country and suddenly missed it.  I would land at Heathrow and there would always be 2 or 3 friends waiting for me, before we headed off to the pub to meet more friends and have a great night.  I would spend the days visiting my Dad and family and aimlessly driving around the countryside, remembering how nice it is back there, wondering why I abandoned it, and the nights in the pub with mates having a great laugh.  It just suddenly happened over those 2 or 3 years of visiting the UK - I became uber home sick - and every time I returned to Thailand I felt bummed out to be back.

 

I guess I just stumbled here through blind chance, failed to plan, and woke up 15 years later thinking bugger, I am still here?  I own a house and stuff?

 

I built an amazing on-line business through my time here and now it is over, I regret squandering the money I made from it.  I could have saved easily enough to buy a bloody huge house back home but I didn't.  I was an idiot. Business class flights everywhere, hotels always had to be Hiltons, Sheratons, Mariots.  Wardrobe after wardrobe of expensive clothes. Bikes, cars.  All the trappings. I had friends in Miami and over a 4 year period I would fly there, business class, three times a year for 3 weeks each visit, blowing money. I look back on all that now and think I guess I wasn't truly happy here and filled a void with crap that I didn't need.  I got jaded with the bar scene years ago, got fed up with golf and for a good few years didn't do very much here: just a quiet life with lavish holidays back home, Miami, Caribbean, and all over S.E.Asia mixed in.  I should have been honest with myself at the time and admitted I wasn't truly happy in Thailand, time to go home.  But for some reason I just figured everything would work itself out and plodded on, with no plan, spending money.  And when you have money, it is easy to use it to fudge over problems.  And for that reason, I wouldn't blame you for calling me a cock.  It was foolish and short sighted and now the business is over and I am making a modest living, I feel stupid.  For a bright guy, I made a dumb mistake of winging it in life with zero plan.  So fair enough - call me a cock for that, because I am.

 

But I am most definitely not a cock in the way you might imply.  I am not a social misfit, I can easily sit in a bar full of strangers and tell a few stories, get everyone laughing.  I do have some measure of charm, unlike some of the morons you meet sometimes here whose soul level of concern lies with the cost of Chang going up at Dream Girl bar, baked beans in Macro being too saucy, and how Davids wife is cheating on him with a Thai guy.  I just made the mistake of taking everything for granted, failing to plan: and now i miss home, dont realy want to live here anymore, but cant just 'go back' and sofa surf with my wife who I adore, watching her suffer with the same feelings I have now in being home sick for her country and family/friends.  If I had a good few hundred grand in the bank I would buy a house back there and spend the summers there with her.  Or leave her here and get my fix of England for 3 months a year.  Either of those scenarios would be fine for me and I would enjoy the other 9 months in Thailand quite happily.  Maybe one day it will happen, I do have a track record of getting back on top financially when chips are down so maybe I will make something else work and get the money together in a few years.  Or maybe crypto currency will go up ten fold and I can cash in and do it that way.  

 

But for the time being, here I am.  Just a bloke who didn't plan and stumbled here, for a long time.  Its not a bad life, dont get me wrong - I own a house, a couple of nice cars and bikes, owe no money to anyone and have potential to make a living.  I just feel a bit bored and lost here these days. It suddenly feels arbitrary, my living here.  I feel silly for not predicting this years ago, and stupid for not being wiser with my money. 

 

Feel free anyone to analyze all this but let me be clear - you can jazz this up however you like but I am telling you now, there is no underlying reason for 'bailing' on the UK.  It just happened.

 

 

 

So, in other words, you've been a pretty lucky son of a bitch so far, either by fate or your own efforts, and you've learned some truths along the way. That's not a bad life at all and well ahead of 95% of the people on this planet. Well done!

[Dick Crank]

8 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

 

So, in other words, you've been a pretty lucky son of a bitch so far, either by fate or your own efforts, and you've learned some truths along the way. That's not a bad life at all and well ahead of 95% of the people on this planet. Well done!

your talking through your arse here, he said he did not know whats going on hes just adrift wandering around with no direction

[bbabythai]

On 8/2/2018 at 10:42 AM, BobbyL said:

We moved back here from England last year. We are both still young so living here is good for now. Not sure how I will feel in ten or so years when I am 40. Some things here really do annoy me. 

please give examples

[LivinLOS]

On 7/20/2018 at 5:25 PM, markusss said:

After years of procrastination and all the excuses I've decided that it's time to go back home to Australia. I've had a good life here. I've made lots of good friends, had so many great times, witnessed many changes here in Thailand over the last 13 years, some good, most bad, but I'm not happy here anymore, and haven't been for some time. I seem to be the last man standing at this point due to almost all of my old friends having left Thailand themselves. Has anyone here on this forum lived in Thailand for such an extended period of time and left? How was your experience? Was it hard to readjust to the so called modern life of the west with its mundane 9-5 routine? Did you feel like the odd one out there just as you did here in Thailand? Did you end up moving back to Thailand?

I have had a home in Thailand since 2001.. With no western home or ties until 2 years ago.. In fact I still have a home here and am typing from here, but back to one of my western places next week. 

I dont have massively rose tinted glasses, it wasnt 'so' much better, it was just different.. It was kind of wilder, rougher round the edges, more 3rd / developing world than it is now.. I had an absolute ball (king of the hill villa above Patong for years.. Entire agogos shut down with every staff BFed to head to the pool.. Crazy times).. But I am older and would die from the abuse if I tried to live like that now. Its out of my system and while I am glad I did a decade in the nightlife every night, thats enough for this lifetime. 

I have a (couple of) places back in the west, I have a new business making great cashflow, should have 100 people working for me by xmas, I get to have nice cars, good roads, people who make honest business deals and stick to them.. Theres festivals, culture, entertainments I couldnt get here.. I dont even find it actually more expensive on the whole (and the money you make back there far eclipses the cost, here its all outgoing, there its spending a fraction of income)..  Basically theres reasons this is the developing world and that is the developed !! Yes theres rules, sometimes too many, I am currently fighting a councils planning department to get consent on a 50 home project and its maddening.. But those very rules also mean its clean, safe, controlled. 

I also like my Chiang Mai life.. I like being out on my bikes, out in the forests, camping in national parks, enjoying the pool or just chilling in a good climate. Lots to love both sides but I think I will probably keep a western home from here on in, my wife is Thai, I dont think she will ever be settled and happy outside of Thailand, we have a dog, so we will maintain a Thai home and vehicles etc but only for 4 - 6 months a year I think. Summers in Europe are just great, winters here until hot season kicks in also great. Theres airports both places so merely a case of choosing which place to be at. 

I like both for different reasons but if I had to pick only one, it would for sure be somewhere in Europe. 

[LivinLOS]

On 7/20/2018 at 8:31 PM, euroflash said:

While I do appreciate the more civil life here, I still hate the grey weather and high cost of living. I also miss the more simple life in Thailand. People in my country seem to complain about such small issues that pale in comparison with the real problems of this world.

 

The jury is still out in my case...

I couldnt take UK winters.. 

But barcelona ?? Or Trieste ?? Adriatic coast.. So much play ground and not expensive. 

[LivinLOS]

On 8/2/2018 at 9:32 PM, manjara said:

Thailand needs to decide if it's going to be insular or open its doors and laws, to allow people to become Thai and fully invest in the country. Make it easy to do business, to stay and build up assets, without being already rich (and uninterested?). Some farang do it, but let's face it, they are the exception!

They have already decided.. 

Dont kid yourself. Its not happening in my lifetime. 

[weegee]

Read between the lines...After what I have experienced here in the last few months.

 

For those who have packed up and left....Smart Move

For those about to pack and go....Smart Move

For those that are Staying....Good luck.

[henrymeier99]

Sorry for my bad English.

I  known Thailand since 1999, especially Pattaya. I live in Pattaya since 2007, Pattaya has developed extremely to the worse. But not every city, every place in Europe continues to develop - some for the worse, some for the better.

I think about returning to Germany almost every day. But even there, not everything is as I like to imagine. I have two children who are both well integrated in Thailand. I am now 60 years old and I have to decide slowly whether I will finally return or not. When I think of the many Muslims who are now in Germany and the bad weather of course, I have my doubts again. Time will tell. But I can understand anyone who wants to leave Thailand who knows the country for a long time Thailand has many advantages but also a lot of disadvantages. The ideal solution would be to return to your home country three months a year in Thailand to take advantage of the benefits. Good Luck. 

 

[transam]

1 minute ago, weegee said:

Read between the lines...After what I have experienced here in the last few months.

 

For those who have packed up and left....Smart Move

For those about to pack and go....Smart Move

For those that are Staying....Good luck.

Thankfully she likes my...........