What's the Most Surprising Thing You've Learned About Living in Thailand?

[Conan The Barbarian]

Living in Thailand has been an eye-opening experience for me. This country is incredibly peaceful, and the people are genuinely helpful. Thailand has everything you could need: delicious food, great weather, beautiful beaches, luxurious spots, and an amazing party scene. At the same time, Northern Thailand offers the perfect retreat if you’re seeking relaxation and peace.

Please share your experiences.

[pgrahmm]

Initially,  was how easy and comfortable living here could be....

I travelled to here 3 times to check & double check for extended periods, to make sure what I experienced was not an anomaly.....

I made the move & never really regretted my decision.....

Sadly, my 26 y/o Daughter in the US that I raised as a solo parent/Daughter duo had recently died in an automobile crash & freed me up for a life changing move....

Now, settled in - with a great wife & 2 daughters; it's helped heal a hole in my heart.....

 

[tandor]

..they drive on the right side also.

[Kalorymetr]

What I learned?

Yes can mean "I don't know". They never acknowledge if they don't know something so asking locals for directions is a waste of time.

[BobDobbs]

35 minutes ago, Kalorymetr said:

What I learned?

Yes can mean "I don't know". They never acknowledge if they don't know something so asking locals for directions is a waste of time.

 

When asking for directions

 

Don't ask in Thai unless you can understand the response

 

Ask precisely where something is or how to get there. Do not point or offer anything like is it this way or that way left or right. This is indeed because if the person doesn't know they will just agree with you. This is the Asian way and not necessarily particular to Thailand

[Ben Zioner]

Sapiens has sub-species, and homos.

[Kalorymetr]

9 minutes ago, BobDobbs said:

 

When asking for directions

 

Don't ask in Thai unless you can understand the response

 

Ask precisely where something is or how to get there. Do not point or offer anything like is it this way or that way left or right. This is indeed because if the person doesn't know they will just agree with you. This is the Asian way and not necessarily particular to Thailand

Yes, I just don't ask, easier than navigating all those assumptions. 

 

Why would I ask in language I can't understand? 

[Pique Dard]

...that in the land of smiles, there are many who never smile

[BobDobbs]

I've learned how unappreciative and indifferent Thailand is towards foreign expat presence.

 

It is perfectly legal and acceptable for industries to discriminate against us foreigners. Not simply tourists, but those who have lived years in Thailand, have family in Thailand. Not simply for National Park entrance fees (which can add up to consider both sums with a long stay), but more importantly the hospitals which are already prone to gouge us - fully legal and allowed.

 

Continual and habitual whining and complaining about TOURIST revenue sources from abroad yet completely ignore our contribution. This is born out by the fact how difficult it is to conduct any personal business from banking to the government dealings.

 

Even a bringing in as little as b40,000 pm is still double that of a typical wage earning Thai. Therefore the contribution is double that of perhaps 65% of the country.

 

Foreigners are disallowed from owning a tiny plot of land and home despite Thailand providing and will be success for these individuals to be in country.

 

All visas without exception are non-immigrant. It is virtually impossible to get permanent residency and especially citizenship. All sorts of stupid and ridiculous barriers are set up to sabotage the effort. It's basically old retirees and expatriots with exceptionally well paying jobs that can take a stab at PR and citizenship.

 

It seems almost since the beginning of the entrance of Chinese into the tourist market Thailand has been beset with all sorts of criminal and cultural problems. Including a pervasive kidnapping problem as well as call centers. Only love here. Thailand continues to lower the barrier of entry to the country for these people.

 

Starting a business since ridiculously complicated and needlessly expensive.

 

It is impossible to now gain Thai government insurance for a former teachers unless that person can be placed in a yellow book which means they must be for their spouse must be a homeowner.

 

We often support wives that many have been cast off in marriages as well as their children.

 

Despite smelling like a rose and dressed well the last empty seat on any transport conveyance will be next to us.. the farang

 

Now, the tax bullsxx+, tax worldwide income..

 

A case in point to the jingoism: recently there was banter about condo ownership/ raising the quota of foreigners. The typical yellow shirts came out... Xenophobia and jingoism ... The actual fact of the matter is that not one more Foreigner will be added to the condo rolls due to this adjustment. There are scant few condos in which foreigners are bumping up against the limit. I would argue further that these are condos in which ties would NEVER want to live in anyway

 

If I wasn't married I would be out of here in a flash. As an expatriate of some nearly 35 years I would entirely discourage anyone from setting down roots in this country.

 

It's only going to get worse.

[chiang mai]

That despite the apparent liberalism of the tourist areas, the country as a whole is very conservative.

[stoner]

i've learned how precious and cheap life is.....at the same time.

[Gandtee]

Not to be surprised at anything.😉 

[Dakhar]

Infidelity is considered a sport.

[ronster]

That the wild west still exists and didn't end when cowboy movies did and that if  mad max could really happen then here would be a prime spot due to the road carnage daily .

[Thingamabob]

That the vast majority of Thais eat animals in a supposedly Buddhist country.

[proton]

15 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

Living in Thailand has been an eye-opening experience for me. This country is incredibly peaceful, and the people are genuinely helpful. Thailand has everything you could need: delicious food, great weather, beautiful beaches, luxurious spots, and an amazing party scene. At the same time, Northern Thailand offers the perfect retreat if you’re seeking relaxation and peace.

Please share your experiences.

 

I was surprised that there has been an Islamic terror campaign going on in the south for over 20 years costing over 6k lives, when people call the country 'incredibly peaceful' 

[proton]

19 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

That the vast majority of Thais eat animals in a supposedly Buddhist country.

 

Buddha ate meat so thats why Buddhists do, Hindus are vegetarian, not Buddhists 

[BobDobbs]

23 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

That the vast majority of Thais eat animals in a supposedly Buddhist country.

 

You're obviously know nothing about Buddhism.

 

Because... Tibetans, Ladakhis, Bhutanese arguably the most conservative Buddhists in the world. That might crush the reality of many yoga instructors and New age - crystal types on islands in south lol

[b17]

The most surprising thing for me are the obvious differences that exist regarding the socialization of children - my brother in law's two boys have NEVER done five seconds of housework in their lives, and they are adept at watching me, their older uncle, struggle with multiple bags of groceries when I return from a shopping excursion to 'Big C' or 'Tops'.  Never have I heard an offer of help, and now accept that as an unfortunate reality of their upbringing. On the other hand, women growing up in Thailand are fully expected to help out in every possible way and are scolded if they refuse. 

This has created a race of arrogant, lazy,  and childish boys and dutiful, but frustrated, young women, who long to break the shackles of their slavish existences. 

 

I'm also surprised by how cold it gets up here in the north. 

[ChrisKC]

I am very happy here; I don't have any problems with Thai life. I am unaffected by most of the negative aspects highlighted by some on this topic. I DO care but they are outside of my control so there is nothing I can do to change them so don't complain about them and place myself under unnecessary stress

.

There is one thing that irritates me greatly and that in more than 20 years, I have seen no attempts by Government, The Ministry of Transport, the Police or Parents to do anything meaningful to reduce the risks of death and suffering from traffic accidents!

[Expat68]

After living permanently 12 years, nothing surprises me

[MalcolmB]

49 minutes ago, BobDobbs said:

I've learned how unappreciative and indifferent Thailand is towards foreign expat presence.

The situation is even worse in the UK.

Not only do we not appreciate them, we are out rioting to protest against them.

 

i expected a red carpet when I arrived, but nothing.

[MalcolmB]

6 minutes ago, b17 said:

the other hand, women growing up in Thailand are fully expected to help out in every possible way and are scolded if they refuse. 

This has created a race of arrogant, lazy,  and childish boys and dutiful, but frustrated, young women,

It is awesome isnt it.

Lets face the reality, most of us are here because of the well trained women and are relieved to have escaped the feminist nightmares back home.

 

Very clever the Thai men, not only are the women very attractive but they get them to do everything.

 

Male paradise this country.

[Old Croc]

I was initially surprised, and frustrated, by the incredible layers of paperwork and processes to effect simple everyday tasks. 

To transfer a phone line required more than an hour sitting in front of a clerk in TOT painstakingly completing multiple forms, photocopies, signatures and payment of deposits, etc.

Transferring the electric connection was even worse where I was confronted by a Vogon clone who demanded more and more documentation to simply change the name on the connection. 

These things are handled by a short phone call in my home country.

My surprise was because Thailand was/is largely computerized, but many government and public companies either don't understand or mistrust their use. They require, and store, reams of paperwork for everything.

My yearly visits to the bank for a statement and simple letter still rankles because of the protracted processes involved.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

It was surprising to me how easy it was to find an attractive girlfriend.

And it was more surprising how difficult it was to separate from her again.

[bob smith]

16 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

and the people are genuinely helpful.

only when you are paying them.

 

bob.

[bob smith]

25 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

It is awesome isnt it.

not really, no.

 

bob.

[TheFishman1]

I’ve been here over 11 years and half the complaints I read are just due to a lack of correct information. Last one I read was about the Bank letter and all that you’re such deposit money. I took a picture of my savings account with 20 back in front I never made a deposit. I got both letters that whole process took me less than four minutes, I realized before coming here that many things foreigners would be charged double when I looked at the overall monthly expenses and the cheap rental I added it up to me that this is a good place to retire. I have no regrets life is good. TIT

[Celsius]

16 hours ago, Conan The Barbarian said:

Living in Thailand has been an eye-opening experience for me. This country is incredibly peaceful, and the people are genuinely helpful. Thailand has everything you could need: delicious food, great weather, beautiful beaches, luxurious spots, and an amazing party scene. At the same time, Northern Thailand offers the perfect retreat if you’re seeking relaxation and peace.

Please share your experiences.

 

The most surprising thing is how many bootlicking Farang there are in Thailand.

[mstevens]

The most surprising thing for me living in Thailand is that the weather isn't great. We always had this notion in my part of the world that hot weather is good. I never really considered that there was such a thing as "too hot for too long". But that is how I find the weather in Thailand - too hot for much of the year. After a few years I came around to the idea that the milder weather in my homeland of New Zealand was preferable.