What do you miss about your home country?

[tinca tinca]

9 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Er do you mean short DAYS in winter time?

read what i wrote

 

[ivor bigun]

Actually very little ,we have lived in the UK as a family(my Thai wife and son) and here for many years , i think the only thing we miss is driving to see my family and having my daughter living with us,who is now married   and staying with them sometimes ,but now with the likes of whatsap ,line ,etc etc ,we we video chat all the time free ,

the chip shop ,was nice ,as was the fresh bread shop ,but actually i like it better here.

[IvorBiggun2]

On 12/23/2020 at 7:17 AM, Lacessit said:

What do you miss?

Absolutely nothing. Hence why I left the siht hole. The UK that is.

[KhunFred]

I miss quality beef and the election of Republicans who bleed the poor dry while enriching corporations. It's also fun to guess which country the USA will invade next. These things are greatly missed.

[KhunFred]

19 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Absolutely nothing. Hence why I left the siht hole. The UK that is.

Brits amaze me. You have the finest healthcare in the civilized world, a functioning welfare state and spoken English. What more do you want??? I wish I could afford to live in the UK, Denmark or Sweden. Darn near paradise by my reckoning.

[Dagfinnur Traustason]

On 12/23/2020 at 1:17 AM, Lacessit said:

All the best to everyone on TV over Christmas, and may 2021 be better.

 

What do you miss?

Yeah, what should I say @Lacessit?

Thanks for the nice wishes, I wish you the same. Missing something? Nah, then I would not have been moving here. Everybody doing that, must bear in mind that it will not be the same. If a person can not accept that, they should stay put at home. Maybe just moving out of the safety of mama and papas home is a scare.

[Leaver]

31 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

You have the finest healthcare in the civilized world, a functioning welfare state and spoken English.

The welfare functions so well that in the future, no one will need to work.  ????

[KhunFred]

1 minute ago, Leaver said:

The welfare functions so well that in the future, no one will need to work.  ????

Tory???

[IvorBiggun2]

9 hours ago, KhunFred said:

Brits amaze me. You have the finest healthcare in the civilized world, a functioning welfare state and spoken English. What more do you want??? I wish I could afford to live in the UK, Denmark or Sweden. Darn near paradise by my reckoning.

Don't believe the myth that at at the end of a rainbow there's a pot of gold.

[fredwiggy]

28 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Don't believe the myth that at at the end of a rainbow there's a pot of gold.

 

 

 

 

This was a reply to KhunFred, just to set the record straight and not to argue with. The UK, although I've never been there, is on my bucket list to visit, but not to stay.

 

 

The U.S. ranks 15th.

• No. 8: Australia. ...
• No. 7: Japan. ...
• No. 6: United Kingdom. ...
• No. 5: Germany. Best Health Care System Rank: 5. ...
• No. 4: Norway. Best Health Care System Rank: 4. ...
• No. 3: Sweden. Best Health Care System Rank: 3. ...
• No. 2: Denmark. Best Health Care System Rank: 2. ...
• No. 1: Canada. Best Health Care System Rank: 1                         Every country has it's share of good and bad. Some like freezing weather so they can ski, skate ,ice fish or hunt. Some are city people, some hate the crowds. Some countries have beaches, things some abhor. Some love the mountains. I would love to be back in the US because there's more that I like there, and this country, especially Isaan, is very boring to me. If I lived near the beach, being a fisherman, it would be easier, but I built a house in Isaan and that's where I'm at, at least for now. Mainly because of my daughter now. America does have everything anyone could want for sure, being a conglomeration of all cultures and has all of the regions mentioned earlier........................

  France	1	65,273,511
  Italy	2	60,461,826
  San Marino	3	33,931
  Andorra	4	77,265
  Malta	5	441,543
  Singapore	6	5,850,342
  Spain	7	46,754,778
  Oman	8	5,106,626
  Austria	9	9,006,398
  Japan	10	126,476,461
  Norway	11	5,421,241
  Portugal	12	10,196,709
  Monaco	13	39,242
  Greece	14	10,423,054
  Iceland	15	341,243
  Luxembourg	16	625,978
  Netherlands	17	17,134,872
  United Kingdom	18	67,886,011
  Ireland	19	4,937,786
  Switzerland	20	8,654,622
  Belgium	21	11,589,623
  Colombia	22	50,882,891
  Sweden	23	10,099,265
  Cyprus	24	1,207,359
  Germany	25	83,783,942
  Saudi Arabia	26	34,813,871
  United Arab Emirates	27	9,890,402
  Israel	28	8,655,535
  Morocco	29	36,910,560
  Canada	30	37,742,154
  Finland	31	5,540,720
  Australia	32	25,499,884
  Chile	33	19,116,201
  Denmark	34	5,792,202
  Dominica	35	71,986
  Costa Rica	36	5,094,118
  United States                                               Yet another ranking, so where do these things come from?

Edited December 25, 2020 by fredwiggy
addition

[Inala]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

I would have been locked down in my son's house in Melbourne, wearing a mask any time I was outdoors, unable to go more than 5 km from the house. No restaurants for lunch, no golf courses open, no swimming pools, no massage shops. A one hour massage in Melbourne is $70 minimum anyway, costs me $8 in Chiang Rai. No Thai GF 23 years younger than me to cook for me, wash my clothes, and generally tend to my every need. Now do you understand?

You're entitled to your opinion; however, even without COVID, I would die of sheer boredom in Australia. About as much mental stimulation as an endless game of noughts and crosses.

 

Thailand is great fun and life is so easy. I first went to Thailand a decade ago, firstly on numerous two week millionaire holidays and then later for work. In the back of my mind, my main aim was to eventually meet a Thai girl, I was not going to get involved with another aussie. After many experiences with different girls, I got lucky and met a great girl with no kids who treats me like a king. And likes everything I like. Now, after her many trips to Australia, she is loved by my family and has aussie PR so that we can come and go between the two countries. 

 

On the other hand, Australia has so much potential for adventure, if you're into that. It's great to have a diesel 4wd, with a boat like a Quinnie or Signature half cab to sleep in overnight at the islands or to have a van hanging off the back and driving across the Nullabor. Drinking coffee at a small cafe mid-winter when it's so quiet, body surfing at any beach and almost everything else that has been mentioned in the other posts.

 

To me, this is the conundrum. Outside of the adventure aspect, Australia can be sterile and boring. Especially if you don't have a Thai girl, then it can be really, lonely in the vast suburbs. I've been in that situation. Having a girl goes a long way to making it much more bearable and if she is adventurous, it's even better.

 

However, at the same time, I love the easy lifestyle in Thailand. The days just wile away. We go for a walk & workout in the morning, followed by a massage. Have lunch at any one of a hundred different cafes around my place. Go for another massage in the arvo, at 150Bht each it doesn't matter. Walk home, flop on the couch for a nana nap. A mate calls at 4pm, it's out to a bar with him for a few coldies, sometimes if we're up for it it's on to a gentleman's club for the late arvo and then later maybe to a go go bar. You just can't have that sort of fun in Australia. 

 

Both lifestyles have their pros and cons. The Aussie adventure lifestyle is great but can be expensive to maintain. I've kept my house there so that I have a base. But it costs to keep it. After a while back in Australia, I'm thinking about Thailand. But after just a few months back in Thailand, I get restless and start daydreaming about the rattle of a diesel 4wd on the beach, being in a boat, adventures in a van in the outback or just pottering around home.

 

To me, there's just slightly more to keep me engaged in Oz. More stuff to mess about with. Thailand is great, but boredom can set in quite quick....I need to find a way to continue to do both, but maybe with a 60/40 split. Although it is quite possible age will settle me down one day. 

      

[actonion]

Miss the changing seasons and an English style chinese grub 

[Neeranam]

My mother.

Haggis suppers and white puddings.

Mountains.

Summer nights playing golf until 11 pm.

Autumn leaves falling and the beauty of the countryside.

I plan to retire to Scotland in the future for half the year. 

[4reaL]

Real Democratic Culture 

 

Holla @ Yo Boi 

 

[ivor bigun]

13 hours ago, KhunFred said:

Brits amaze me. You have the finest healthcare in the civilized world, a functioning welfare state and spoken English. What more do you want??? I wish I could afford to live in the UK, Denmark or Sweden. Darn near paradise by my reckoning.

pity most of the people who live there these days are immigrants ,,my old home town was a nice place years ago ,now its a dangerous sh_thole ,overun by people from other nations . as for the welfare state ,well those of us who paid in all our lives get one of the smallest pensions in Europe ,while those who paid in nothing ,just pop out loads of kids and get it all .

crime pays ,but god help you if you dont pay your tv licence and your a pensioner.

the wonderfull country i grew up in has long gone .

[Inala]

11 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

pity most of the people who live there these days are immigrants ,,my old home town was a nice place years ago ,now its a dangerous sh_thole ,overun by people from other nations . as for the welfare state ,well those of us who paid in all our lives get one of the smallest pensions in Europe ,while those who paid in nothing ,just pop out loads of kids and get it all .

crime pays ,but god help you if you dont pay your tv licence and your a pensioner.

the wonderfull country i grew up in has long gone .

 

Shocking state of affairs that is being replicated all over the western world...

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Inala said:

 

 

 

On the other hand, Australia has so much potential for adventure, if you're into that. It's great to have a diesel 4wd, with a boat like a Quinnie or Signature half cab to sleep in overnight at the islands or to have a van hanging off the back and driving across the Nullabor. Drinking coffee at a small cafe mid-winter when it's so quiet, body surfing at any beach and almost everything else that has been mentioned in the other posts.

 

 

      

You're obviously younger than I am, so our attitudes are different. I've driven from Port Hedland to Melbourne, Adelaide to Darwin, Melbourne to Cairns. Perth via Albany to Esperance. Spent about 20 years hunting and camping around Nymagee, Gilgunnia and Euabalong for my holidays.

Australia is great when one is younger, a lot of interesting places to see. Like the ghost towns of Orroroo and Wittenoom, or Hidden Valley at Kununurra. 500 million years old. Problem is, one has to cover a lot of fairly boring distance to see them.

It's a case of been there, done that. When I took my Thai GF to Australia, we drove from Cobar to Broken Hill, then down to Mildura. Hardscrabble country, she kept asking where all the houses and people were. She couldn't get her head around the fact there weren't any.

Every day is an adventure for me in Thailand, just getting on my scooter with every other motorist on the road trying to kill me is the start. IMO as an older person I am better off here, you will probably make the decision one way or the other one day too.

[Andrew Dwyer]

On 12/23/2020 at 2:57 PM, ChrisKC said:

In Makro I buy a kilo of cheddar cheese sometimes for B289 or more often, B309. It is very nice. Buy some Branston Pickle from Lazada - I have bought three times, 2 x 350gm jars,( the real thing) while in Makro bought some of their nice brown fresh bread, organised myself a cool large Beer Chang and have myself as close to a Ploughmans lunch as you can expect 10,000 kms from home.

 

Go on - spoil yourself!

Took your advice .

 

 

Kinda sad really when the 2 jars of Branston that I bought from Lazada are my only Christmas presents !!

 

I resisted the urge to wrap them up and feign surprise this morning !!, now that would have been weird ????

[Neeranam]

7 hours ago, ivor bigun said:

pity most of the people who live there these days are immigrants ,,my old home town was a nice place years ago ,now its a dangerous sh_thole ,overun by people from other nations . as for the welfare state ,well those of us who paid in all our lives get one of the smallest pensions in Europe ,while those who paid in nothing ,just pop out loads of kids and get it all .

crime pays ,but god help you if you dont pay your tv licence and your a pensioner.

the wonderfull country i grew up in has long gone .

Last time I stayed in London, Whitechapel Road, it reminded more of Bangladesh. Great food. 

[ChrisKC]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Last time I stayed in London, Whitechapel Road, it reminded more of Bangladesh. Great food. 

 

4 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Took your advice .

 

 

Kinda sad really when the 2 jars of Branston that I bought from Lazada are my only Christmas presents !!

 

I resisted the urge to wrap them up and feign surprise this morning !!, now that would have been weird ????

Whenever I get in a pickle, I just have some cheese with it!

 

Every time I got my pickle, they sent me free packets of fruit tea - they were very nice and I have subsequently bought some.

 

In the meantime, if you like proper rice, I can recommend that you try basmati rice - (long-grain) 3 x 1kgs from Lazada at equal to B60 per kilo including delivery in about two days. The cost per serving amounts to about B3 so cannot be considered expensive. I use basmati for everything involving rice, cook it my way and the Thais all love it better than their own mediocre rice - as it is served up,  anyway!

 

It is a happy Christmas after all!

[Andrew Dwyer]

11 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

 

Whenever I get in a pickle, I just have some cheese with it!

 

Every time I got my pickle, they sent me free packets of fruit tea - they were very nice and I have subsequently bought some.

 

In the meantime, if you like proper rice, I can recommend that you try basmati rice - (long-grain) 3 x 1kgs from Lazada at equal to B60 per kilo including delivery in about two days. The cost per serving amounts to about B3 so cannot be considered expensive. I use basmati for everything involving rice, cook it my way and the Thais all love it better than their own mediocre rice - as it is served up,  anyway!

 

It is a happy Christmas after all!

I did get 1 sachet of peppermint infusion, which was okay.

 I did spot the Birds Trifle kit at 57 baht ( 27 baht delivery ) which is something I miss from my home country ........... and back on topic !!

[ivor bigun]

Dont know where you all are ,but Branston pickle ,and cheese at low prices ,can be got in lots of places here in Pattaya ,no need for Lazda,ever.

[ChrisKC]

17 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

Dont know where you all are ,but Branston pickle ,and cheese at low prices ,can be got in lots of places here in Pattaya ,no need for Lazda,ever.

If I were in Pattaya then I would know about such things but I am in Lampang more than 700 kms away, and while cheese is available around here it is all processed stuff, except in TOPS that is hopelessly expensive for just about everything! In Makro, I get many things there including my cheese that I am happy with. But no Branston Pickle or basmati rice.

[Maybole]

Talisker

[Andrew Dwyer]

1 hour ago, ivor bigun said:

Dont know where you all are ,but Branston pickle ,and cheese at low prices ,can be got in lots of places here in Pattaya ,no need for Lazda,ever.

Also not in Pattaya , am 200 km north, Makro is the best local option for me but they are limited to a few cheese options ( Makro’s own being the best IMHO ) and no Branston.

Tops is an hour north or 45 minutes south but I find them expensive.

So , Lazada it is. 

[olfu]

...miss home country?

I wish I could miss it but it doesnt exist anymore.