2 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

Where does the OP choose to live?

I am Canadian travelled the world with military.  

Been here 12 years have no desire to leave SE Asia.

55 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Quality of Life - U.S. News Best Countries Report 2021

1. Canada
2. Denmark
3. Sweden
4. Norway
5. Switzerland
6. Australia
7. Netherlands
8. Finland
9. Germany
10. New Zealand

Aus has one of the highest rates of depression.

57 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Quality of Life - U.S. News Best Countries Report 2021

1. Canada
2. Denmark
3. Sweden
4. Norway
5. Switzerland
6. Australia
7. Netherlands
8. Finland
9. Germany
10. New Zealand

Can agree with Canada, though not a fan of the weather half the year.

 

USA not making the list, and quality of life is/was excellent, for me.   Guess it depends who you talk to and how you ask.

 

Netherlands, short visit, but enjoyed.  Food sucks.

 

Sweden, short visit, lacks a bit, and weather not so great.

 

Loved every Caribbean Isle I've been to, along with Mexico, and would take them over my impressions of EU / UK nanny states.

 

TH or the Americas for me.  Rest of SEA/Asia doesn't interest me at all, as I need good infrastructure.  

 

 

You'll hear this story again and again:
"I came to Thailand for 3 months. That was 14 years ago, and I'm still here."

 

It's not for everyone. The nice thing is you can try it on, see if it's a good fit, stay if you want, leave if you don't want.

1 minute ago, HappyExpat57 said:

came to Thailand for 3 months. That was 14 years ago, and I'm still here."

Or the opposite. Came to retire for 14 years, left after 3 months.

Cant imagine living back in my old home town in the Uk ,it used to be lovely,now its like a Muslim state,17 years ago we came back,now our son runs a company.

And your not afraid of being mugged,or stabbed,living here in Thailanf

 

24 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Can agree with Canada, though not a fan of the weather half the year.

 

USA not making the list, and quality of life is/was excellent, for me.   Guess it depends who you talk to and how you ask.

 

Netherlands, short visit, but enjoyed.  Food sucks.

 

Sweden, short visit, lacks a bit, and weather not so great.

 

Loved every Caribbean Isle I've been to, along with Mexico, and would take them over my impressions of EU / UK nanny states.

 

TH or the Americas for me.  Rest of SEA/Asia doesn't interest me at all, as I need good infrastructure.  

 

 

Agree! Holland (and Belgium) I found pleasant and friendly. No issues with the food but I'm not adventurous. Cafes, snacks, coffee, beer and especially their chocolate is great. For islands; Malta is great weather wise, Cyprus OK but Madeira does it for me. As regards North America, Mexico City and surrounding towns have everything. in South; Colombia, Brasil, Uruguay and Argentina are good. Chile less so. Spent 12 years in Paraguay but the poor (and worsening) infrastructure plus road blocks with all document checks was too much.    

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Happy here , just cannot imagine what life is like in the UK now,

have not been back for 35 years ......if I did , possible culture shock ..

 

regards worgeordie

 

Yeah, I left the UK for work (in Korea) in 1995, permanently in 2000 after my blue-eyed, blonde-haired, large breasted, Essex Girl (TOWIE is totally real) swapped me for a newer model (OK, I was bonking a Korean lady but ...).

Came to Thailand with a shiny new Thai wife in 2004.

Never been back, all the family want to come here ???? 

 

I also earn rather more than I could in the UK and have a home I could never even imagine back home.

3 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

From the NY Times article as to the hoto above:

In places like Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island and Pine Island, just west of Fort Myers, an easygoing existence that once revolved around seashell hunts, shrimping, turtle-watching, taking in sunsets over the Gulf, and the ebb and flow of a seasonal tourist economy had been obliterated.

 

That reminds me of my visit to Phi Phi Island about 25 years ago. At that time they allowed only day trips. No structures were allowed on that island. It was beautiful. 

Thailand is a cool place to live if you filter out the BS!

5 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

Size 14

They never take mine

Does it float?

5 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

It doesn't suit everyone

Is that why there are so many tailors in farang/tourist areas? 

4 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Does it float?

Yes

5 hours ago, The Fugitive said:

Mexico City and surrounding towns have everything.     

Tried retiring there first. Loved Polanco, like a tropical Paris.

 

Downsides: less English spoken then you'd think, rents are at least double of here, no freely available Ganga, you really have to love a pork taco in its many variations.

 

And the inevitable cataclysmic earth quake that will surely some day happen in that sinking lake bed of a town.

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

USA not making the list, and quality of life is/was excellent, for me.   Guess it depends who you talk to and how you ask.

 

TH or the Americas for me.  Rest of SEA/Asia doesn't interest me at all, as I need good infrastructure.  

Both very true statements.  The US gets so much negativity online, but if you have a good income here the quality of life is very good.  If you have a lower income, yeah I imagine its not that great.  I don't do politics so I ignore that entirely, probably helps.  Thailand's food, warmth and infrastructure is what makes it a good option for us.  The affordability of Thailand's housing also what makes it an attractive option.  Outside of that, we love our home in the US too.

3 hours ago, Maha Sarakham said:

Both very true statements.  The US gets so much negativity online, but if you have a good income here the quality of life is very good.  If you have a lower income, yeah I imagine its not that great.  I don't do politics so I ignore that entirely, probably helps.  Thailand's food, warmth and infrastructure is what makes it a good option for us.  The affordability of Thailand's housing also what makes it an attractive option.  Outside of that, we love our home in the US too.

I kinda understand that.

 

We haven't been back to our home in KK for 2 years due to covid. Mrs G is headed there in 2 weeks to visit family.

 

The question do I miss it is complicated. Living there for a decade I have a love/hate relationship with the place. It truly is insane from the coups (I lived through 3) the noise, pollution, terrible infrastructure yet it still has a strange attraction.

 

On balance though I think I prefer our suburban life here in the US, and Thailand as our vacation destination. Here, life is maybe I could describe it as boring. Everything works, all the time, we go to work no drama, versus the chaos that can, not always be our life in Thailand 

46 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

On balance though I think I prefer our suburban life here in the US, and Thailand as our vacation destination. 

I feel that way also.  Thailand is an excellent vacation destination (value for money) and can also be a great retirement destination for affordability, though I often prefer the calm of our life in the US.  Thailand has a unique attraction to it, but it can also wear on your nerves if you let all the small things get to you.  

It's not a matter of best country.

Working? Probably west.

Retired? Probably Thailand.

Single? Thailand.

Female? West.

And so on.

 

3 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

On balance though I think I prefer our suburban life here in the US, and Thailand as our vacation destination. Here, life is maybe I could describe it as boring. Everything works, all the time, we go to work no drama, versus the chaos that can, not always be our life in Thailand 

Funny that you should mention the chaos in Thailand versus the US of A on mid-term election day in US.

The answer is yes and no.

14 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

I am Canadian travelled the world with military.  

Been here 12 years have no desire to leave SE Asia.

I'm also Canadian, lived and based out of Thailand for 26 years.

Lived and worked on 6 continents and about 15 countries

Now happily moved back to sunny Alberta and couldn't be happier(lovely -23C this morning)

Wanted my son to grow up and go to school in Canada

Haven't been bitten by a mosquito, or broken a sweat in over a year.

Don't miss Thailand in the least and I will never go back.

1 hour ago, kwonitoy said:

I'm also Canadian, lived and based out of Thailand for 26 years.

Lived and worked on 6 continents and about 15 countries

Now happily moved back to sunny Alberta and couldn't be happier(lovely -23C this morning)

Wanted my son to grow up and go to school in Canada

Haven't been bitten by a mosquito, or broken a sweat in over a year.

Don't miss Thailand in the least and I will never go back.

Kids school was a biggie for us. Our son had grown up in Singapore. High school in Thailand was awful. He went to college in Chicago and within a month told us he was never coming back to Thailand. That was the catalyst for Momma Bear and we were on our way to a green card. I was already bored with Thailand and she was <deleted> off with her career prospects. So here we are

To me, the most poignant comment on living in the USA over these last few days:

 

“I come from a generation that has gone through more mass-shooting drills than fire drills,” he said then. “This is something that my generation has had to face head-on: being scared to go to school, being scared to go to church, being scared to be in your community. That gives me a sense of urgency.”

 

25-Year-Old Florida Democrat Secures Generation Z’s First House Seat
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/08/us/politics/maxwell-frost-florida-house.html

8 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

On balance though I think I prefer our suburban life here in the US, and Thailand as our vacation destination. Here, life is maybe I could describe it as boring. Everything works, all the time, we go to work no drama, versus the chaos that can, not always be our life in Thailand 

Would you feel the same without your 'Thai take-out'?

Lots of older white guys don't like living without a woman.

 

I prefer living in Asia where my pension means I never need be in bed alone.

(Title should really be 'Is living in Asia better than living in the West')

21 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Quality of Life - U.S. News Best Countries Report 2021

1. Canada
2. Denmark
3. Sweden
4. Norway
5. Switzerland
6. Australia
7. Netherlands
8. Finland
9. Germany
10. New Zealand

First 5 + 7, 8, 9, 10 all too cold.

 

5 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

I'm also Canadian, lived and based out of Thailand for 26 years.

Lived and worked on 6 continents and about 15 countries

Now happily moved back to sunny Alberta and couldn't be happier(lovely -23C this morning)

Wanted my son to grow up and go to school in Canada

Haven't been bitten by a mosquito, or broken a sweat in over a year.

Don't miss Thailand in the least and I will never go back.

Just because Thailand was the wrong country for you, doesn't mean it isn't great for others.

I'd go back in a heartbeat if I could. Never wanted to leave it.

On 11/9/2022 at 8:22 PM, 473geo said:

I guess it depends if you think a mind trained 'not to think too much' is a healthy mind 

However the environment created by such can give an overall relaxed appearance ????

I wish I could learn the art of not thinking too much. We sure have an overly glorified view of our own over worked intellects. 

 

I think many of us prefer life here to life back home. I would only consider going back to the US if I was offered a $3 million a year job, or someone sponsored me for the same amount. Then I would leave after 2 to 3 years. Most people I know there do not have much of a life. Most Thai people seem more fulfilled. I know I am. 

1000% better. 

20 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

Cant imagine living back in my old home town in the Uk ,it used to be lovely,now its like a Muslim state,17 years ago we came back,now our son runs a company.

And your not afraid of being mugged,or stabbed,living here in Thailanf

 

I think you have more chance of being mugged or stabbed in the UK than in Thailand. I read the UK news online all the time and it is always full of stabbings.

15 hours ago, LaosLover said:

Tried retiring there first. Loved Polanco, like a tropical Paris.

 

Downsides: less English spoken then you'd think, rents are at least double of here, no freely available Ganga, you really have to love a pork taco in its many variations.

 

And the inevitable cataclysmic earth quake that will surely some day happen in that sinking lake bed of a town.

Agree! So many options in and around Mexico City. I found everyone spoke perfect English but it may have just been a fluke. Did you ever get to Ciudad Azteca? The shopping mall adjacent to the Metro station is absolutely fantastic.