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Looking Back, Now..….What Was Your Favorite and Happiest Year in Thailand?


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Posted

For me that was 2018.  I visited Thailand for the first time that year, and stayed for a few months.  I remember Thai people being really relaxed and courteous with beautiful smiles.  Just really easy going and generous to others in general, and they seemed quite content  with their life too.  Even though their life seemed a little difficult in my point of view. Their attitude in life gave me good first impression of Thailand and Thai people.

 

I returned to Thailand in late 2019.  I could feel that the air changed a bit.  People seemed quite fed up for some reason.  I could feel that people were stressed for some reason.  I was told that decrease in numbers of Western tourists and increase in numbers of Chinese and Indian tourists kind of changed lots of things.  I remember seeing Indian tourists negotiating for discount at a roti stand in one occasion.   I think the roti lady was selling one for 20 baht.  I was like WHAT THE F...

 

And now.  In 2021.  Its just terrible.  I feel lots of pessimism and annihilism on the streets.  I see so many people living on the streets, people selling handmade goods and foods on the streets.  Their products often look amateurish..  Which makes me even more sad.  Because I can see that they lost their job, and they are doing their best to make a living.  Thailand seems to be full of desperation now.

 

I remember getting watered from all over the place by everyone during the Songkran in 2018.  I'm quite nostalgic about that time.  Getting watered by random people on the streets.  lol.  People were just being playful.  People were just enjoying their time.  Full of smiles.  I really miss those days.  I'm feeling quite sad as I'm writing this. 

 

I remember that back in the day, lots of things were open 24/7.   There was always something to do. There were always places open to eat.  

 

I think Thailand will be back in business after COVID gets sorted out.  I have no idea when.  But I think it will be an uphill battle for Thailand.  Because other SEA countries are quickly becoming attractive day by day now.  

 

 

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Posted

it's all relative to our time here.  Previous batch of guys in Thailand always had their best times, in their time here.  I've had plenty, and in the past 6 months, 3 of our number have died suddenly from liver cancer, after years on the good times with Leo, Chang, et al. 

 

I'm quite sure there will be a few more to follow.  Living the dream, as they say, until we chuck you into the big pizza oven at the Wat.  Small words murmured amongst us, and then it just doesn't matter anymore.  And so we carry on, as we do, hoisting a Leo in your honor, as if it matters.  As if it ever did.

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Posted
15 minutes ago, lolalol said:

For me that was 2018.

 

I returned to Thailand in late 2019.  I could feel that the air changed a bit.  

 

And now.  In 2021.  Its just terrible. 

 

The progression of Thailand over a shortened period of time.  For many members here, it was a much longer stretch of time, but the sentiments will be the same.

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Posted

What I tell anyone who will listen to me is that, so very honestly speaking, the place I live in Thailand is, with zero doubt, the best place I have ever lived in my life.

 

I have lived in a few places, such as Canada, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and some of the most beautiful places in the US. I mean, I am not from Oklahoma.

 

Thailand is, by far and away, the very best of all. Or, I should say....NONE OF THE ABOVE!

 

When I first arrived here, I thought that the shine might wear off.

As everybody knows, living in a new country goes in definite stages.

First you love it.  Then you tolerate it, And then you are sick of it.

So far, this has not been the case with me and Thailand.

If anything, I love it more now.  And, I am just very nostalgic about the beautiful times I recall during the first year I arrived.

Or, I should say, the second time I first arrived.

I first arrived in 1971, just for three days.

My next visit was many years after this.

 

Although I still very much love China, just as I do Japan, and as I also love Canada and the USA, and even Taiwan, there is truly no place like Thailand that I love so much. Go ahead and crack your jokes about my love of Thailand, even more than any other country. But my love of this place stems mainly from my love of the culture and the people...that is the crux of it all.

 

After a decade of loving living here, I would be surprised if my feelings for this place were to change much during the next century.

Hard to change a culture such as that of Thailand.  And hard to change my opinion about this place.

As long as the culture remains the same, then my love of this place will remain constant.

 

And so, I wish to leave everybody here with this condensed thought from sonnet 116, as Shakespeare wrote about my love of Thailand:

 

 Love is not true if it changes with time; true love should be constant, regardless of difficulties.

 

I know you guys might think that I am being less than honest when I proclaim my love.

 

But, you should not doubt my constancy.

 

(Is Thailand, at least for me, better than any place I have lived?  I can only tell you what I honestly believe.  The answer is YES.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted
24 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I have three answers to this.

 

1. The first time I went as a single person to Pattaya - 2003 - the kid indulging in the sweet shop syndrome. Soi 7 and 8 were packed. 

 

2. The year I met my wife, married her and moved full time to Thailand - 2015. For me, if you're gonna get married, make sure you get it out of your system first.

 

3. The year I eventually get back to the family after getting stuck in the UK and everything gets back to normal

As you just said, without family, life can never be normal, but always abnormal.

May you be reunited, soonest.

Posted

probably '91, in the sand pit at the Reggae pub on Koh Samui of course............................!!

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Posted
9 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Instead, maybe it’s time to be more uplifting and inspirational,

LOL. IMO nothing more uplifting and inspirational than really good sex, but never mind, to answer the OP minus the happy bits, 1996 had to be the best year for me in Thailand, I had completed my contract in Saudi and was fully financed, I had as much time as I wanted as between jobs, and back then Pattaya really was Fun City. Not just Pattaya, Bangkok and tours through LOS, as I also visited the islands, which had not yet become the flashpacker hell they were to become.

All in all, a year to remember.

9 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Given enough time, due to entropy, even the universe will disappear and clean up after itself.

IMO unless it all disappears into a black hole, once the last sun runs out of fuel and dies, the universe will remain as a void full of burnt planets and whatever suns are once they consume themselves, but as noted that's my opinion, and none of us will be around to see what does happen.

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Posted
1 hour ago, Whale said:

My first year. 

Sadly, my first year was when I had to learn from my mistakes, and there were many of them. I have too many bad memories for it to be my best.

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Posted
Just now, BritManToo said:

All my years in Thailand have been great  (2009+).

Still enjoying it, but old age has changed the ways of my fun to a slightly quieter and more sedate level.

While you are enjoying, give a thought to those of us that had to leave LOS and get zip now.

Posted

Thinking about my best year in Thailand must be around 2002-2003 . But i did not know anything at all back then . It wasnt my 1st-2nd -3th travel there back then but knowing more then 0 also . After it went down i think before boing up big time , and after slowly going down to the point where i am now .Which is nothing at all to early 2000's sessions ,

 

Posted

My first 6 years have been fabulous, only these last two years have become heavy for covid due to its limitations especially now, but it is nothing compared to the drastic limitations in Europe, so all in all Thailand is still better than Europe that is still closing with new restrictions including vaccinated so Thailand is still all my preference.

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Posted
2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The time before everybody had a mobile phone.

And then obviously the time before everybody used the internet.

I remember my holidays in Thailand. 3 weeks without any contact with "home". Wonderful!

Yes, that internet thingy is a terrible thing , would be better if everyone stopped using it

r/s

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Posted

Why when I read your OP do I hear it being read aloud by Noel Coward?

 

Did you type it wearing a smoking jacket?

 

????

 

Seriously I moved here in 2016 and with the excitement of a new wife/house/country this would be my best year.

 

Unfortunately for me covid has put the kibosh on what I love most, travelling around Thailand with my wife.

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