I Love Living in Thailand

[Mike Teavee]

Can’t help but notice there’s a lot of negativity around living in Thailand, especially for the past couple of years during COVID, but I’m sat here in my cheap as chips (UK pricing about £35) luxury resort on Koh Samet & can’t help thinking… I love living in Thailand.

 

OK, I’ve only been here full time since Feb 2019 but have visited many (many, many) times since 2008 when I started working in SG & whilst it’s not the same place… I still love living in Thailand ????????
 

[clivebaxter]

Can we see the pics then?

[statman78]

I have to agree with the OP.  I’ve been coming here for work the past 30 years.  Worked In Bangkok in 2014-2015 then moved here when I retired in 2018.  No place is perfect but once you understand the “system” here and the fact that you cannot do anything about it you can live a comfortable life here.  It sure beats living in northern US where they will be up to their eyeballs in snow in the next month.

Edited November 17, 2021 by statman78

[Mike Teavee]

8 minutes ago, clivebaxter said:

Can we see the pics then?

This one ok? (Apologies if it has my feet in it, that’s my signature on photos I send to my mum ????)

 

 

[clivebaxter]

10 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

This one ok? (Apologies if it has my feet in it, that’s my signature on photos I send to my mum ????)

 

 

Went once in 1994, did not like it

[Mike Teavee]

3 minutes ago, clivebaxter said:

Went once in 1994, did not like it

I go 3-5 times a year & love it… GF had her way we’d move here tmr, hands down her favourite island in Thailand & she’s from Satun so had Koh Lipe on her doorstep for years (oh & we came here on the way back from Koh Chang at her insistence). 

 

Funny how we all like different things. Like I’d never read another Clive Barker novel again (sorry, that’s what your forum name made me think of) but will read anything Brian Lumley writes (and there’s been some bad’uns) 

[Tropicalevo]

18 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Apologies if it has my feet in it, that’s my signature on photos I send to my mum ????

Nice touch.  ????

[Mike Teavee]

Just now, Tropicalevo said:

Nice touch.  ????

Lol… Mum loves it ????

[HappyExpat57]

As I posted in another topic, if I had known 15 years ago what I know now, I would have chosen a different country to retire in, occasionally visiting Thailand. The feather that broke the camel's back was when the head of the Health Ministry referred to us as "dirty farangs" and "f***ing farangs" in public.

 

Each year, Thailand becomes more difficult to stay in, and anyone who denies it is a blind frog sitting in a pot of water that is slowly being brought to a boil.

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Each year, Thailand becomes more difficult to stay in, and anyone who denies it is a blind frog sitting in a pot of water that is slowly being brought to a boil.

Same as it was when I first arrived in 2009.

400k in bank, no changes.

Edited November 17, 2021 by BritManToo

[OneMoreFarang]

53 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Each year, Thailand becomes more difficult to stay in, and anyone who denies it is a blind frog sitting in a pot of water that is slowly being brought to a boil.

Really?

If you legally work here, no problem.

If you are retired and have a little money in the bank, no problem.

 

And if anybody complains about 90 days reporting or things like that. Just do it! It takes a couple of hours for the whole year to do what is necessary to stay in Thailand. It's easy. The only thing which makes it bad is permanently thinking about it and complaining about it.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

I still love living in Thailand ????????

Enjoy it and surround yourself with other positive thinking people.

There are good and bad things in any country, region, town, etc. It's up to us if we want to see the good things or the bad things. And if we really don't like one place then it's time to move on - and not complain about it constantly and stay in that place.

[talahtnut]

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

OK, I’ve only been here full time since Feb 2019 but have visited many (many, many) times since 2008 when I started working in SG & whilst it’s not the same place… I still love living in Thailand

Everyone understands your passion, its a honeymoon period,

only time will tell. Will you get bored flopping about on the beach?

its great I know, but it did my head in eventually.

[blackprince]

Nice to see some positivity Mike, but the only reason you give for loving Thailand is that it's "cheap as chips".

 

"sat here in my cheap as chips (UK pricing about £35) luxury resort on Koh Samet & can’t help thinking… I love living in Thailand."

 

That's why the vast majority originally loved it as far as I can tell from this forum, but when it was no longer "cheap as chips" for them they started hating it, even though they might rationalise their change of heart as being caused by the government (despite the fact that anyone with more than a tourist brochure knowledge of Thailand would know something about the history of its government), or a bad woman (even though many seem to have been on the rebound from a bad farang marriage in the first place), or the visa situation ( despite the fact it's still among the easiest in the world), or covid (despite the fact that all the stats show that Thailand is doing much better than most of our farang home countries) etc etc etc.

 

Enjoy your resort break anyway, looks pretty good ???? and thanks for the positivity, I hope it lasts!

 

 

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by blackprince

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

 

Each year, Thailand becomes more difficult to stay in,

If you are talking abt visa, mine hasn't really changed in 20 years... do the same stuff... if you are talking abt personally, my life seems to get better.. each yr I have a deeper relationship w/my family and my language skills get better... 

 

if it gets more difficult for you, sorry to hear that, but it is not for everyone. All my friends seem to be doing fine. Maybe some issues as we get older but that would happen anywhere. I am 102 and going strong w/aches and pains...

 

Did you ever notice that people with happy in their name never really are? 

[timendres]

Eleven years, and still love every day here.

[Mike Teavee]

15 minutes ago, talahtnut said:

Everyone understands your passion, its a honeymoon period,

only time will tell. Will you get bored flopping about on the beach?

its great I know, but it did my head in eventually.

Fair comment ????????
 

[Mike Teavee]

9 minutes ago, blackprince said:

Nice to see some positivity Mike, but the only reason you give for loving Thailand is that it's "cheap as chips".

 

"sat here in my cheap as chips (UK pricing about £35) luxury resort on Koh Samet & can’t help thinking… I love living in Thailand."

 

That's why the vast majority originally loved it as far as I can tell from this forum, but when it was no longer "cheap as chips" for them they started hating it, even though they might rationalise their change of heart as being caused by the government (despite the fact that anyone with more than a tourist brochure knowledge of Thailand would know something about the history of its government), or a bad woman (even though many seem to have been on the rebound from a bad farang marriage in the first place), or the visa situation ( despite the fact it's still among the easiest in the world), or covid (despite the fact that all the stats show that Thailand is doing much better than most of our farang home countries) etc etc etc.

 

Enjoy your resort break anyway, looks pretty good ???? and thanks for the positivity, I hope it lasts!

 

 

 

Great post & again I’m coming from the viewpoint of an Expat that’s only seen his UK£ go up (from 37 to 44) over the past few years.

 

Bur I had planned this move for almost a decade before I pulled the plug so sort (HOPE) of I know what I’ve jumped into.

 

Loads of reasons to love living in Thailand, I just chose the one whilst waiting for my Ms to finish her massage ????

[blackprince]

4 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Great post & again I’m coming from the viewpoint of an Expat that’s only seen his UK£ go up (from 37 to 44) over the past few years.

 

Bur I had planned this move for almost a decade before I pulled the plug so sort (HOPE) of I know what I’ve jumped into.

 

Loads of reasons to love living in Thailand, I just chose the one whilst waiting for my Ms to finish her massage ????

Good for you Mike. Enjoy!

[GammaGlobulin]

Living in Thailand is the very best Life will ever get.

 

Almost NO downsides.

 

I agree with you.

[GammaGlobulin]

Reykjavík, during winter months, is not so bad, either.

[bondjames007]

I have been here for 8 years,  Never been back home since.

 

Will not live anywhere else, Thailand is my home,  it's a great place to live.

 

Just ignore all the negative comments about living here.   People are upset about there their own pesonnel lives and their bad choices that they made.

 

Enjoy your rest of your time here!

 

 

 

 

[Iforbach]

Been here 20 years I appreciate it more I'm up from pattaya..I am in bangkok for 2 nights I needed a guiness buzzing in robin hood last night..I walked from ekimai to phrom phong..in the day hustle bustle off people all or most chilled ..I felt safe..too think if that was liverpool ..my home ) or London etc ..lots people on edge ...I say it again all those people nock thailand ..if u are here and ain't happy ..leave ..from those affar..stay were ur ..love thailand ..nothing is perfect but my money wil go lot further....as I get the bus pony to pattaya 119 baht ..I guess the trolls b saying get taxi tight ar se ..gotta laff ..at the sad trollies 

[Flink]

16 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

I go 3-5 times a year & love it… GF had her way we’d move here tmr, hands down her favourite island in Thailand & she’s from Satun so had Koh Lipe on her doorstep for years (oh & we came here on the way back from Koh Chang at her insistence). 

 

Funny how we all like different things. Like I’d never read another Clive Barker novel again (sorry, that’s what your forum name made me think of) but will read anything Brian Lumley writes (and there’s been some bad’uns) 

I seriously hope you're not referring to any of the Harry Keogh dynasty books with that last comment! ???? ???? 

[shackleton]

Yes I agree with the guys comments  I live here full time since 2013 retired. 

Thailand. is  a great place 

We need more positive  comments  put the word out 

Tourists and Retirees all welcome 

[wwest5829]

17 hours ago, statman78 said:

I have to agree with the OP.  I’ve been coming here for work the past 30 years.  Worked In Bangkok in 2014-2015 then moved here when I retired in 2018.  No place is perfect but once you understand the “system” here and the fact that you cannot do anything about it you can live a comfortable life here.  It sure beats living in northern US where they will be up to their eyeballs in snow in the next month.

Weather was a consideration when I retired to Thailand in 2011 but the critical concern was economic. I cannot afford a working middle class retirement in the USA on my $2400.00 per month ($1320 of that from SS). Here I rent a 4 bed, 3 bath home with a side yard, two cars, motorbike. Get to make a couple of beach trips a year. Comfortable life … just the reality of being outpriced for the same level of living in my own country.

[4MyEgo]

17 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Can’t help but notice there’s a lot of negativity around living in Thailand

Negativity is for those who can't get over it.

 

I moved here 6 years ago, no regrets, built a 5 bedroom 3 bathroom 320 square metre house and for that price I could build a two car garage back in the old country.

 

I have my own room which is 48 square metres at the back of the house, 6 x 8 metres with 3.3 metre ceilings, the added bonus is that it's cool all down long as the sun goes around the opposite side of the house from where that room us.

 

In the old country I lived in a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom 80 square metre semi-detached villa which was so tight.

 

The cost of living here is about half if not less than is in the old country. We live in the sticks, no neighbours to the side, back or across the road so it's very private, but the neighbours are within 40 metres of us on the same side of the road.

 

Domestic travel is easy, Been to Phuket, Songkla, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin with hotels being very affordable, I still eat the foods I like (imported) and the price of beer is cheap and if eating at a restaurant I don't have to think twice about the price.

 

When I watch a series or a movie on Netflix and see a big City, it freaks me out and ask myself, how on earth did I survive living in the environment I did for most of my life until I retired here in Thailand.

 

Yes Thailand is not perfect, but its cheaper cost of living means that I can afford to live an, as equal, but more comfortable life in a house 4 times bigger than the place I was living in, on what I earn tax free from my investments (retired) vs living in a small place and still having to work a minimum 5/7ths of the remainder of my life worrying about the cost to survive there.

 

Thailand is home for me, and if I can travel to the shores twice a year, I will remain content. 

 

Edited November 18, 2021 by 4MyEgo

[wwest5829]

15 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

As I posted in another topic, if I had known 15 years ago what I know now, I would have chosen a different country to retire in, occasionally visiting Thailand. The feather that broke the camel's back was when the head of the Health Ministry referred to us as "dirty farangs" and "f***ing farangs" in public.

 

Each year, Thailand becomes more difficult to stay in, and anyone who denies it is a blind frog sitting in a pot of water that is slowly being brought to a boil.

I agree with the farang statement rightly to be condemned. And I do not understand why he was not brought before a Thai court for publicly embarrassing the Kingdom of Thailand. However, as an American reflecting on so much embarrassment coming from politicians in my own country I let much of all the foolishness role off … not worth my attention.

[Eric Loh]

Came here in 2006 with clear hearted willingness to set up a business with modest expectation and not expecting any special treatment for my investment. Submit myself to follow the laws, regulations & culture of a foreign country and not looking for entitlements. Glad I made that decision as business has been kind to me, got married to a Thai and living life to its fullest and enjoying it.  

Edited November 18, 2021 by Eric Loh
wrong paragraph

[Pravda]

 

1 hour ago, davemax49 said:

Just ignore all the negative comments about living here.   People are upset about there their own pesonnel lives and their bad choices that they made.

 

I find comments like this ridiculous.

 

I had a good life in Thailand exactly because I didn't ignore the negative comments. From ripoff scams to the women I dated. 

 

And for the record no one chooses to make bad choices. To most people they just happen. Sometimes it's bad luck and sometimes it's lack of knowledge. 

 

BTW has anyone told Mike that his post is very original? I think having a thread twice a month about how Thailand is great and how it sucks living back home is really not enough.

 

Also has anyone told Mike that he is still paying covid prices for his resort? Or that he is living at the time where there are virtually no tourists? When the price of resort goes up to 100 pounds and beaches and cities are overrun by Chinese again, will his mind change?

 

Personally I enjoyed Thailand with a lot of tourists, even Chinese.  I must be in the overwhelming minority regarding this, but Thailand is a tourist destination. Begpackers, sexpats and dotards make Thailand what it is. The last 2 years really changed my mind about the country especially the government. They really hate their own people and they didn't use any money they collected from tourists in decades to even help a little.

 

Disgusting place. 

 

Signed, 

 

Pravda, the hater