11 hours ago, BritManToo said:

In the west I'd be sitting in a residential care home waiting for an afternoon game of bingo.

You must be pretty old I AM 76 and just bought a 2 story home.

1 minute ago, still kicking said:

You must be pretty old I AM 76 and just bought a 2 story home.

Not that old, just less optimistic.

13 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Not that old, just less optimistic.

Fair enough 

Heavenly Shades of night are falling

It's twilight time. 

On 11/23/2023 at 8:11 PM, still kicking said:

Ilive in the west and I am not bored at all I was bored in Thailand 

Australia is not the west... check your globe.

On 11/23/2023 at 8:02 PM, swissie said:

I believe the OP is describing circumstances in the UK. Therefore suffering British Winters.

If he's in the uk why does he use the $ symbol?

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

If he's in the uk why does he use the $ symbol?

 

Might not have a UK keyboard.

On 11/23/2023 at 7:09 PM, bignok said:

The roads are better, the streets are cleaner but f me sideways its boring. $8 a beer in a pub to watch keno. $33 for steak and salad. The barmaids are 70kgs and no go. 

You're talking about AUS in particular???? That's not the West I know.

IMHO, if someone considers a place to be boring, it's because that person is boring. An educated and optimistic person can make even the most apparently-boring location enjoyable and interesting.

The first time I came, Thailand had a profound effect on me. On my return I can remember standing in my local and thinking to myself "What the f--k am I doing here" That was 33 years ago, now living in Thailand without doubt that was one of my better decisions in my life

It’s only boring if you don’t have the finances to do much of anything.  Even if you don’t have much money in the West you can find things to do. 

On 11/24/2023 at 3:47 PM, timendres said:

 

Visited a friend back in the US. He had what we call a "McMansion". Over spec-ed, overbuilt, semi-gaudy, gigantic house sitting on 20 acres of property. Across the paved street were a dozen more identical McMansions, albeit on smaller, perfectly manicured, lots. We were sitting on his porch, looking over the houses, and discussing how literally everything he might want to do was a drive of at least 30 minutes. Nothing within walking distance. He then commented, "Isn't this incredible?" I gave him the answer he wanted to hear, "Yeah, it really is." -- Boring AF all. I could not leave soon enough.

 

But. The truth is. He was genuinely very happy.

    Where I lived in the US, a huge house sitting on 20 acres of land actually would be considered a 'mansion', regardless of the interior decoration.  In my area, outside of DC, it was popular at the time, perhaps still is, to buy a little cracker box of a house on a small plot of land, but in a good location, tear it down, and then construct a huge monstrosity of a house way too big for both the land or the neighborhood of other small bungalows.  There were also new developments of way too big houses on way too small land plots.  These were what we referred to as 'McMansions'.

On 11/24/2023 at 11:53 AM, charleskerins said:

Coffee sucks          never thought I would miss WAWA   think i will make a new post   " further casual observations about Thailand "  it will bring out the experts ,les miserables and some civil posts.

What is WAWA?? Maybe you would be better just texting on your smartphone.

On 11/25/2023 at 7:23 AM, FruitPudding said:

 

So, you like Thailand for the cheap beer, cheap food, and cheap women.

 

What's there to do in Thailand besides drink beer and "go for a massage?" Lol.

 

Thailand is boring if you don't have a job or a family........unless you are just here for partying.

 

You could fry out in the heat or you could walk around another mall, or perhaps a littered beach. Amazing Thailand. Might as well grab a beer and a hoe.

 

In the West, I'd be golfing, fishing, hiking, breathing clean air, and at least drinking a nice beer.

 

 

"and at least drinking a nice beer." yes, if you can afford it.

4 hours ago, swm59nj said:

It’s only boring if you don’t have the finances to do much of anything.  Even if you don’t have much money in the West you can find things to do. 

Like what? Over 50yo everything is boring.

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

IMHO, if someone considers a place to be boring, it's because that person is boring. An educated and optimistic person can make even the most apparently-boring location enjoyable and interesting.

Why did you move to Laos?

On 11/23/2023 at 8:11 PM, still kicking said:

Ilive in the west and I am not bored at all I was bored in Thailand 

Perhaps a little hidden homesickness after all? After all, you read daily aseannow...

"$33 for steak and salad. The barmaids are 70kgs"

"At least you don't have 6 months of British winter."

 

The Venn Diagram intersection for Dollars and Kilograms suggest Australia, so the concept of a 6 month winter is unlikely.

6 hours ago, newnative said:

    Where I lived in the US, a huge house sitting on 20 acres of land actually would be considered a 'mansion', regardless of the interior decoration.  In my area, outside of DC, it was popular at the time, perhaps still is, to buy a little cracker box of a house on a small plot of land, but in a good location, tear it down, and then construct a huge monstrosity of a house way too big for both the land or the neighborhood of other small bungalows.  There were also new developments of way too big houses on way too small land plots.  These were what we referred to as 'McMansions'.

 

And, I do believe, that is precisely where the term McMansion originated from.

When I worked in Darien CT, my boss frequently pointed them out.

On 11/23/2023 at 7:09 PM, bignok said:

The roads are better, the streets are cleaner but f me sideways its boring. $8 a beer in a pub to watch keno. $33 for steak and salad. The barmaids are 70kgs and no go. 

Last time I was in the UK the roads were a mess. Potholes everywhere 

6 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

What is WAWA?? Maybe you would be better just texting on your smartphone.

self projection

20 hours ago, swm59nj said:

It’s only boring if you don’t have the finances to do much of anything.  Even if you don’t have much money in the West you can find things to do. 

I didn't need to spend anything to have an interesting life in LOS.

If someone needs to be entertained they'll be bored anywhere without money. If someone is self sufficient they don't need money to be entertained.

 

Obviously we all need enough money to pay for a basic life- accommodation, food, medical etc, but it doesn't need us to be affluent.

On 11/25/2023 at 1:23 PM, FruitPudding said:

What's there to do in Thailand besides drink beer and "go for a massage?" Lol.

If you don't know, you haven't been trying very hard if at all. Thailand is far more interesting than back home, and all for a lot less money.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If you don't know, you haven't been trying very hard if at all. Thailand is far more interesting than back home, and all for a lot less money.

 

To be fair, I haven't. As I don't really have free time, expect one day a week

 

But if I did have free time, I don't see what I'd do that wouldn't be better in the west.

 

Like, okay, I'll hear you out.  What's more interesting about Thailand?

 

23 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

 

To be fair, I haven't. As I don't really have free time, expect one day a week

 

But if I did have free time, I don't see what I'd do that wouldn't be better in the west.

 

Like, okay, I'll hear you out.  What's more interesting about Thailand?

 

I agree everything in Thailand is available in the west and often better.

But if I think of say living in Pattaya or similar I could see an average day as being able to, with Thai girlfriend if appropraite, live in a nice apartment with a good gym and swimming pool, near a nice beach for walking if not swimming, baht bus or cheap taxis easy, not far from better beaches for swimming and lots of hotel options in say Koh Chang for a third of cost in Australia, near fun casual restaurants of many nationalities at a fair price, near markets with colour and fun, near a high quality shopping centre with food from around the world and hopefully fun things to do, near somewhere I can get a massage, near bars for a beer if I feel like it, probably with like minded expats nearby if I feel like company, thai culture still a bit exotic and new for an Australian.

Compare that to home which has many upsides - established family and friends etc, clean, no pollution, a range of weather , good quality food and good wine and beer at a fair price, some fun things to do. But restaurants  expensive and not fun and casual in some way, shopping centres tend to be dull with stuff I don't want, 6 months cold and drizzly weather, everything spread out and a bit boring and not that ideal or fun for a guy approaching 60 who can feel invisible.

Put it together and both places have stuff to offer but life in Thailand can seem more fun if only for 6 months a year. It can sound like some things are about money but it's more about the value for money that can help make life seem fun. 

Thank you! Excellent post and interesting views.

 

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If you don't know, you haven't been trying very hard if at all. Thailand is far more interesting than back home, and all for a lot less money.

Eye candy

Walking

Food

 

I did not read all the posts but let me sum up an important issue. If you are rich = no boring (or you do something terribly wrong) regardless where you stay (excl. South Pole maybe) and if not rich = not necessarily boring. I know some monks who own zero but still are happy.

2 minutes ago, moogradod said:

I did not read all the posts but let me sum up an important issue. If you are rich = no boring (or you do something terribly wrong) regardless where you stay (excl. South Pole maybe) and if not rich = not necessarily boring. I know some monks who own zero but still are happy.

Low expectations = happiness

On 11/25/2023 at 12:15 PM, bignok said:

All expensive on Xmas

Not that expensive. My local is charging £11.99 for 2 courses of Christmas dinner. Third course is £3.00. Their food is very good. I've eaten many steaks in their and the landlord is the chef.