Why are you in any other country other than Thailand?

[traveller101]

I'm sure there are quite a few people who live in more than one country like myself.

Thoroughly enjoy Thailand for some months every year, particularly food, the climate apart from the hottest months leading up to the monsoon season, scuba diving, body surfing and every now and then the night-life. After reading Aseannow for 6 months, it's  time to return to Australia in order to keep my sanity and see my daughter and friends - even enjoy the over-the-top reglemented traffic of the safety obsessed Nanny State and dull lifestyle with even major regional centres resembling a ghost town too hours after sunset. But I run out of patience after a few months, the travelbug kicks in -

time to see my sister and family as well as my old friends from school times 50+ years ago in Switzerland.

 

[NorthernRyland]

Thailand is great if you don't have to stay here year round. After about 6-9 months the general inconsiderate nature of the Thai's really grinds my gears and I need to leave. 

[simon43]

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Your in Crete??

Not a country you hear a lot about ,I bet many of you don't even know where it is ????

Don't let them in Athens hear you talking like that - Crete is part of Greece ????

[simon43]

2 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Your in Crete??

Not a country you hear a lot about ,I bet many of you don't even know where it is ????

Don't let them in Athens hear you talking like that - Crete is part of Greece ????

[wpcoe]

I'm a 67-year old American, and after 19 years in Thailand I left for Mexico in 2020.  I rationalized it by being ticked off at having to put THB800,000 in a Thai bank for the retirement extensions.  I preferred to keep that money invested in the USA in higher-yielding equities.  However, I think the reason was at least as much that I was restless and wanted a change.

 

Now, I'm pretty much prevented from returning to Thailand full-time even though I still have a condo in Jomtien.  I canceled my long-standing Thai Aetna/BUPA health insurance policy and soon thereafter was diagnosed with cancer.  If I were to return to Thailand now, everything documented in 19 years of Thai medical records + cancer would be excluded.  If I get tired of Mexico, I'll probably return to the USA for health care under Medicare.

[BE88]

From Switzerland, a perfect country from many points of view compared to Thailand but in some respects I like Thailand because everything is not regulated and where individual freedom is still present even if sometimes it is to the detriment of the neighbours.

All in all I still like Thailand after more than ten years, apart from the pollution but living near the sea the wind disperses the pollution quickly.

So normally I change country after every 10 years but now I wouldn't have any country that I feel attracted to spend my next ten years after what I've seen coming to Europe with Covid so I'm likely to continue living in Thailand for the next 10 years or maybe not, everything depends on whether it is true that we have entered the third world war as indicated by Pope Bergoglio and this could change many perspectives for many of us expatriates.

[Lee65]

1 hour ago, Northstar1 said:

Didn’t realize how good I had it till I landed back home!

true paradise!

That'll wear off.  No offence but I've been to Canada ...

[zzaa09]

Innocents gather.

Ho hum.

[sidjameson]

4 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

You mean like in London or New York.. ?

Yes. Exactly like that. Those countries have largely sorted it out.

Right now New York is 33

London today mostly green but now 66

Thailand consistently over 160 almost everywhere except South.

[Dexxter]

Living back in Australia most of the time now....

1. Clean Air. Cooler weather. Pleasant evening walks.

2. Comfortable apartment and facilities (although I miss the BKK rooftop pool)

3. I am a citizen so no reporting, TM30, visa issues, etc. I don't feel like a criminal here.

4. I can drive my car here quite safely. I love long road trips.

5. English is easier than Thai for day-to-day living, especially bureaucracy.

6. Much cheaper wine and I don't drink much beer usually.

7. Better quality meat especially beef.

8. I have a much better computer setup in Australia than in Thailand.

9. Family and friends are here.

10. Free health care.

11. Probably other things as well that I can't think of right now.

 

[Elkski]

4 hours ago, Northstar1 said:

The bright lights of Asia wore of pretty quickly. I had free health care thru work, but realized I was in anything but a step backwards, back to Canada and live the snow bird dream, so many nice places to visit.

but nothing compares to waking up and breathing clean air, drinking clean tap water. Walking down a sidewalk that’s not broken, no hanging wires, no wild packs of feral dogs laying around, clean food and restaurants inspected by the health department, being able to cross the street and cars actually stop.

going fishing, hunting in my backyard! Didn’t realize how good I had it till I landed back home!

true paradise!

I agree with this.   Bring your youthful Thai wife home.   I need to stay busy, in the USA I can do odd jobs and get paid.  Many activities to do:  Mushroom hunting, ice fishing, 4 seasons yes it's a bit cold so go to Thailand for Dec/Jan, mountain biking, lots of open spaces and national parks, many food items cheaper, safer roads, fly fishing, elk hunting, not many mozzies, in 10 years wife will be able to get my SS benefits when I pass. Closer to family.  Oh I can shoot archery in my backyard or shoot my guns in the open spaces if I want.  

I've lived in a Mountain climate all my life except  10 years in Texas, the heat in Thailand is a bit much for me.  We get some bad air days and inversions but not like Thailand.  

I miss all the pretty women, fresh mangos, cheap massages.   

Edited March 13, 2023 by Elkski

[save the frogs]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Out of interest, why do you participate in this "Thai" forum?

one possible theory is to infiltrate and plant seeds of doubt to people living in thailand full-time because he's envious. 

Edited March 13, 2023 by save the frogs

[mstevens]

I moved back to New Zealand for many reasons but one of the main ones was money and securing my financial future, something I felt would be tougher in Thailand despite the cost of living there being much cheaper there than NZ. I can earn much more in New Zealand than I ever did in Thailand and on moving back, I bought a house which increased massively in value so things have worked out well. Ditto for my Thai wife, she wanted to try life in New Zealand because she liked the idea that she could earn more here. (She now makes well over 100,000+ baht per month compared to 25,000 baht / month she was earning when we left Thailand.)  There's still plenty we miss about Thailand and we continue to enjoy regular trips there. We may move back there at some point in the future, but for now, New Zealand works for us.

Edited March 13, 2023 by mstevens

[mstevens]

12 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Out of interest, why do you participate in this "Thai" forum?

Many of us who lived in Thailand for a period of time still have strong connections to the country such as friends, former work colleagues as well as our wife's family. Some, like myself, certainly consider moving back to Thailand in the future. There are many perfectly reasonable reasons why someone living outside Thailand uses this forum.

[kwonitoy]

I didn't go to any other country, I went Home.

 

27 years in Thailand while I was working in the oil patch.

Got married, had a child, and then the wheels came off.

Wife decided she wanted to "be rich" and started selling ya ba while I was doing FIFO in Australia.

Was at home 1 day on time off and the about 30 police showed up and hauled her away.

For a month or two it was extremely stressful.

She got sentenced to 25 years to life. That was in 2013

Her cousin became my nanny and I continued to work in Oz

Tried to move in March of 2020 but Covid screwed that up.

Grew more and more unhappy with thailand and when I retired from work myself and my son moved back to Canada.

I want my son to grow up in Canada and go to school in Canada

He loves it here and is happy which is the most important thing for me.

I wanted to go home and not be an old man sitting in the food court in a mall in thailand, like I see many doing.

The only thing I miss about thailand is the cheap and fresh fruit, but the meat I can get in Canada is much better.

It's been 1.5 years now and I'm glad we made the move.

Don't have to mess with visa's anymore and am getting my government pension and various handouts that I qualify for. 

 

[Olmate]

12 hours ago, still kicking said:

We don't have wood stoves anymore well maybe a few but they have been banned years a go and yes, I live in OZ.

Wood stoves banned in Oz! Please explain? 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

I know the OP said older folks, but I'll go ahead and give you the "younger" perspective (I'm feeling old already) for comparison.

 

For those of us in our 30's and 40's, the only way to remain in Thailand is with a good career. A cushy expat placement with a big multinational, or a top intl school as a teacher. Such opportunities are quite the minority. The rest of us are likely to be lowly govt school teachers like me, who cannot make a future in Thailand for me and my wife.

 

My school out here in the Issan sticks can't believe it. They're sad to see me go, and it won't be easy to find a good replacement. They really thought 40k was quite generous and I'd be staying indefinitely. But it is not.

 

So we're now waiting on the wife's I-130 to get her back to the States with me. I'll be going first, where my intl teaching experience now affords me to teach the incoming intl students at a university, and she'll be following me hopefully a few months after, to fill one of the many available roles in hospitality.

Edited March 13, 2023 by CrunchWrapSupreme

[BritManToo]

13 hours ago, still kicking said:

Well as many posters said it is about security, I moved back to my home country after living in Thailand for a number of years, being an OAP I get free medical care, free hospital, cheap medication a good pension, subsidised rent, electricity, free bus or train rides, no need for me to do all the reports to the immigration, I never regret I moved back. 

Those who give up freedom, to gain security, deserve neither!

[StayinThailand2much]

23 hours ago, Celsius said:

Maybe some people like to breathe clean air?

That's exactly why I left Thailand for six months, to be able to escape the Bangkok smog for a while.

 

Also, in a few years I'm planning to pull out permanently (except for shorter holidays), so that I can use my country's healthcare if needed.

Edited March 14, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[CygnusX1]

55 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Wood stoves banned in Oz! Please explain?

Certainly not where I live in NSW, sadly, but maybe in other states.

[habuspasha]

15 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

  On 3/12/2023 at 8:31 PM, Celsius said:

Maybe some people like to breathe clean air?

[StayinThailand2much]

10 hours ago, Dexxter said:

Living back in Australia most of the time now....

1. Clean Air. Cooler weather. Pleasant evening walks.

2. Comfortable apartment and facilities (although I miss the BKK rooftop pool)

3. I am a citizen so no reporting, TM30, visa issues, etc. I don't feel like a criminal here.

4. I can drive my car here quite safely. I love long road trips.

5. English is easier than Thai for day-to-day living, especially bureaucracy.

6. Much cheaper wine and I don't drink much beer usually.

7. Better quality meat especially beef.

8. I have a much better computer setup in Australia than in Thailand.

9. Family and friends are here.

10. Free health care.

11. Probably other things as well that I can't think of right now.

 

12. Awesome nature.

13. The zillion activities one can do.

[habuspasha]

1 minute ago, habuspasha said:

15 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Maybe some people like to breathe clean air?

To which Thingamabob says:  "Like New York or London?"  And we are supposed to laugh.

But it's not funny.  As I read this Bangkok is 171, even Phuket is 72, and New York is 28.

Yes I'm living in New York so I can breathe the air.  I hope to be able to live winters in Phuket.

[still kicking]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Those who give up freedom, to gain security, deserve neither!

I never gave up freedom I can do whatever I like without being told by some old army general 

[still kicking]

2 hours ago, Olmate said:

Wood stoves banned in Oz! Please explain? 

They are where I live, I would say they are still being used but not recommended anymore