What is your life improvements in Thailand

[ChumpChange]

54 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Bob, you're embarrassing yourself.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

[Thingamabob]

More fun.

[KannikaP]

On 12/9/2024 at 6:22 PM, black tabby12345 said:

The best thing ever I got here:

Becoming the master of my own time(24/7).

And it allowed me to make a personal development in the way I have never thought about before.

 

What I started after  my settlement here(in Chiang Mai) 19 years ago.

Playing the keyboard(since 2006).

Video editing(since 2020).

Making photo fridge magnets(since 2021).

 

Sounds horrendous, especially the Fridge magnets.

[newbee2022]

On 12/9/2024 at 10:27 AM, Hummin said:

So what improves your life in Thailand? 

 

Everything is not like back home where we come from, wherever or whatever that is, we need to adjust and also improve a few things while living here. 

 

 

Maybe some are here because it's not the same as home?

[black tabby12345]

5 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Sounds horrendous, especially the Fridge magnets.

 

Your taste is None of My Concern...

Contrary to your expectation, I am not into drinking or smoking cannabis.

[georgegeorgia]

On 12/9/2024 at 7:29 PM, ChumpChange said:

Actually, that is that Cambodian, Trump loving American fugitive in the photo after he just took a dump. I posted his photo because I don't have any good ones of myself bathing in shrine water for purification like that.

Seems a bit prejudice talking about Trump when you ignore Australian Prime Minister Albanese?

, because you know deep down,

'"it ain't easy under Albaneseeee!

[georgegeorgia]

9 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Sounds horrendous, especially the Fridge magnets.

I think its great to have a hobby ,some don't they sit on a internet forum all day just like you Kannika and nothing wrong with that if it's your hobby ,thankyou for your service Sir Kannika 

[georgegeorgia]

25 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

More fun.

It's more fun in the Philippines !

 

This is the slogan the Philippines tourist commission use 

Thankyou for bringing this up but it has its hypocrites 

I'm sorry Bob but I don't agree with you it's more fun in the Philippines,but we can agree to disagree !

 

[KannikaP]

2 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I think its great to have a hobby ,some don't they sit on a internet forum all day just like you Kannika and nothing wrong with that if it's your hobby ,thankyou for your service Sir Kannika 

It certainly is good to have hobbies, like composing and recording music on my PC/keyboard/guitar, making my own vino, and bread, cooking Thai & Western food, gardening, and wheedling out the tossers on AN!

[KannikaP]

14 minutes ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

Your taste is None of My Concern...

Contrary to your expectation, I am not into drinking or smoking cannabis.

How do YOU know what MY expectations of you are? Please, stick with the magnets, which took you 16 years to get going, they are more of an attraction!

[georgegeorgia]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

It certainly is good to have hobbies, like composing and recording music on my PC/keyboard/guitar, making my own vino, and bread, cooking Thai & Western food, gardening, and wheedling out the tossers on AN!

And very interesting hobbies too I must say my dear fellow 

Making bread and Wine ,very interesting and beautiful 

 

[Hummin]

17 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Maybe some are here because it's not the same as home?

to me, it seems like a very poplular theme to talk and discuss standard issues that is not like home., Make a pic 😄

 

And even while their wife and my wife listening, like they are not in the same room with us, and do not understand whats being said. 

 

Happy in Thailand can be many things, 

[KannikaP]

15 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

And very interesting hobbies too I must say my dear fellow 

Making bread and Wine ,very interesting and beautiful 

 

 

15 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Making bread and Wine ,very interesting and beautiful 

I am trying to re-create The Last Supper ! 555

[Thingamabob]

36 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

It's more fun in the Philippines !

 

This is the slogan the Philippines tourist commission use 

Thankyou for bringing this up but it has its hypocrites 

I'm sorry Bob but I don't agree with you it's more fun in the Philippines,but we can agree to disagree !

 

Agreed.

[khunPer]

On 12/9/2024 at 4:27 AM, Hummin said:

So what improves your life in Thailand? 

 

Everything is not like back home where we come from, wherever or whatever that is, we need to adjust and also improve a few things while living here. 

Compared to home, life is same-same, but different...😉

I live a quite Western-style life privately – i.e. meals and habits – so it's just like home; apart from it's all-year-around-summer and barefoot Xmas, which both are the great improvement I wanted for my life by living in "a warm country"...

An excellent extra benefit is the party-life and the possibility of a young girlfriend...😎

[Lacessit]

1/ Having a GF 23 years younger than me, that does not take me for granted. Works hard to keep me happy.

 

2/ Living in a country where my combined pension and income from investments exceeds my expenditure by a comfortable margin.

[alex8912]

On 12/9/2024 at 4:11 PM, Celsius said:

Absolutely nothing. I'm very unhappy here and it started in 2021 after COVID "recovery".

 

I can't wait to go back home. Bored here every day. Nothing to do.

 

Another business class ticket back to Toronto in March/April and this time for good.

Nice...you'll be back to shovel lots of snow and slip on ice with those two FULL months of Toronto winter! 🥶 

[sharot724]

7 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Nice...you'll be back to shovel lots of snow and slip on ice with those two FULL months of Toronto winter! 🥶 

I do not miss the Winters. Left it for 50 years in warm CA. CM has lasting warmth,

[pomchop]

1.  Healthier : Swim everyday in large condo pool.  Better exercise for older folks than the walking five miles a day I did in usa.

Can get frequent health checkup here for a fraction of usa costs/hassles and if you find something lurking get on a plane and back to usa where medicare and supplement will cover it.

 

2.  Laugh more:  If you learn a few thai words at least and use them to joke around with thais you will nearly always get a good laugh as thais love sanuk.  Even if you know zero thai if you can smile and joke around the thais will join in.  In usa try joke around with a girl 40 years younger and she will generally not be amused and maybe call the police.

 

3. Less $ sress:  Don't have to look at every menu etc price like back in usa where a simple meal can easily be $10-15 usd ++ and then expected to give another 15-25% tip on top.  Eat mostly local food which I like and it truly is a fraction of usa costs.   Rent a nice condo here for a small  fraction of USA cost and rent includes weekly maid as well as wifi and staff treats me very nicely.

 

4.  Warm weather:  Yes can get a bit hot but makes swimming even more attractive.  Shorts ok most everywhere everyday.  Laundry done as needed for few baht or do it yourself and drys very quickly on condo balcony.  Can get bit rainy some places during off season but doesn't much bother me as usually comes and goes quickly and amusing to watch.

 

5.  Travel opportunities:  Overall cheap and fairly easy to travel around thailand or southeast asia without having to fly hours and hours.  Tons of perfectly good hotels easy to book and very cheap especially if time visits for midweek and shoulder or off seasons.

 

6.  Being old not so bad:  Thai culture honors old people and I have found most Thais go out of their way to help "papa".  Age is not nearly as big a deal in Thailand .  Go into local bar in usa  full of 25-30 year old yuppie types who look at you and wonder why their grandfather is in bar.  Go into most local bars in Thailand as old man and nobody much cares or at least give you a smile and a welcome.

 

Negatives?  Sure there are some but everytime i make a list of pros and cons my thai pro list is way way longer than usa and my con list is way shorter than usa.

[save the frogs]

On 12/9/2024 at 4:11 AM, Celsius said:

Another business class ticket back to Toronto in March/April and this time for good.

horrible place to retire.

very expensive.

the city is designed for working people, not retirees. 

[Hummin]

22 minutes ago, pomchop said:

1.  Healthier : Swim everyday in large condo pool.  Better exercise for older folks than the walking five miles a day I did in usa.

Can get frequent health checkup here for a fraction of usa costs/hassles and if you find something lurking get on a plane and back to usa where medicare and supplement will cover it.

 

2.  Laugh more:  If you learn a few thai words at least and use them to joke around with thais you will nearly always get a good laugh as thais love sanuk.  Even if you know zero thai if you can smile and joke around the thais will join in.  In usa try joke around with a girl 40 years younger and she will generally not be amused and maybe call the police.

 

3. Less $ sress:  Don't have to look at every menu etc price like back in usa where a simple meal can easily be $10-15 usd ++ and then expected to give another 15-25% tip on top.  Eat mostly local food which I like and it truly is a fraction of usa costs.   Rent a nice condo here for a small  fraction of USA cost and rent includes weekly maid as well as wifi and staff treats me very nicely.

 

4.  Warm weather:  Yes can get a bit hot but makes swimming even more attractive.  Shorts ok most everywhere everyday.  Laundry done as needed for few baht or do it yourself and drys very quickly on condo balcony.  Can get bit rainy some places during off season but doesn't much bother me as usually comes and goes quickly and amusing to watch.

 

5.  Travel opportunities:  Overall cheap and fairly easy to travel around thailand or southeast asia without having to fly hours and hours.  Tons of perfectly good hotels easy to book and very cheap especially if time visits for midweek and shoulder or off seasons.

 

6.  Being old not so bad:  Thai culture honors old people and I have found most Thais go out of their way to help "papa".  Age is not nearly as big a deal in Thailand .  Go into local bar in usa  full of 25-30 year old yuppie types who look at you and wonder why their grandfather is in bar.  Go into most local bars in Thailand as old man and nobody much cares or at least give you a smile and a welcome.

 

Negatives?  Sure there are some but everytime i make a list of pros and cons my thai pro list is way way longer than usa and my con list is way shorter than usa.

 

The longer I stay, the more I find myself far outside being able to connect with other expats here. Very few I can relate to in the terms making friends and invite over for a dinner, or even stay over for a weekend. There is many reasons, but mostly because of different political views, lifestyle or general interests. Other expats is best socialized with at restaurants for sharing a few hours catching up or motorcycle trips, where we hang out for a few days riding most of the day, and sharing a few beers and thats it. 

 

The truth is, the older I get, the more bored of other people I get! I just cant understand how I would survive here 30 more years, without having something sensible to do, and we do have a farm, but there is a limit how much I want to invest here, both time and money. 

 

Close by me, Im the youngest, and there is one serious conspiracy activist, two drunks who both of them think they will die within a year and still going after 4 years since I met them, one adhd farmer, who continously invest more and more, but never being able to make any money, 4 who came and left. The last one continously talking about muslims and emigrants in Europe and we have very little in common. Also a matter of who my wife enjoy socialize with also, where the wifes have very different background as well. 

[pomchop]

Like i said...yes there are negatives.  It is no piece of cake to find people you like to socalize with here for sure but also can be problem back in usa with politics too busy working got wives grandkids money problems etc etc. 

 

Not to mention that for many if you say Thailand you are painted as some kind of pervert....from the people who couldn't find thailand on a map, never been here, and think taiwan and thailand are same place.

[Celsius]

27 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

horrible place to retire.

very expensive.

the city is designed for working people, not retirees. 

 

At least the food is cheap and good. Tired of eating slop.

 

Also bored out of my mind. Wanna open a business which takes less time than a visa extension to incorporate and comes with numerous tax refunds and benefits 

 

My wife loves it there.

 

 

[NoshowJones]

On 12/9/2024 at 4:55 PM, sqwakvfr said:

Today I saw two ambulances with lights and sirens stuck in traffic.  The second ambulance driver was honking his horn as well and possibly  had a critical patient in the back.  It took about 5 minutes before any of the vehicles in front started moving to the side so the the ambulance could at least creep up a little.  I hope not to be in an ambulance with a life threatening medical emergency.  Oh what the heck I would probably be half way to purgatory before any ambulance actually arrived at my place. Ok. It just doesn't matter if an ambulance actually arrives. 

It's not just traffic, I witnessed an ambulance with sireen and flashing blue lights have to come to an almost stop because of speedbumps. To get to an emergency and back to the hospital the ambulance would have to do this six times.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, pomchop said:

1.  Healthier : Swim everyday in large condo pool.  Better exercise for older folks than the walking five miles a day I did in usa.

Can get frequent health checkup here for a fraction of usa costs/hassles and if you find something lurking get on a plane and back to usa where medicare and supplement will cover it.

 

2.  Laugh more:  If you learn a few thai words at least and use them to joke around with thais you will nearly always get a good laugh as thais love sanuk.  Even if you know zero thai if you can smile and joke around the thais will join in.  In usa try joke around with a girl 40 years younger and she will generally not be amused and maybe call the police.

 

3. Less $ sress:  Don't have to look at every menu etc price like back in usa where a simple meal can easily be $10-15 usd ++ and then expected to give another 15-25% tip on top.  Eat mostly local food which I like and it truly is a fraction of usa costs.   Rent a nice condo here for a small  fraction of USA cost and rent includes weekly maid as well as wifi and staff treats me very nicely.

 

4.  Warm weather:  Yes can get a bit hot but makes swimming even more attractive.  Shorts ok most everywhere everyday.  Laundry done as needed for few baht or do it yourself and drys very quickly on condo balcony.  Can get bit rainy some places during off season but doesn't much bother me as usually comes and goes quickly and amusing to watch.

 

5.  Travel opportunities:  Overall cheap and fairly easy to travel around thailand or southeast asia without having to fly hours and hours.  Tons of perfectly good hotels easy to book and very cheap especially if time visits for midweek and shoulder or off seasons.

 

6.  Being old not so bad:  Thai culture honors old people and I have found most Thais go out of their way to help "papa".  Age is not nearly as big a deal in Thailand .  Go into local bar in usa  full of 25-30 year old yuppie types who look at you and wonder why their grandfather is in bar.  Go into most local bars in Thailand as old man and nobody much cares or at least give you a smile and a welcome.

 

Negatives?  Sure there are some but everytime i make a list of pros and cons my thai pro list is way way longer than usa and my con list is way shorter than usa.

"and then expected to give another 15-25% tip on top". When I was in America, I refused to tip anywhere, but then I never went to the same restaurant twice. I love America and it's people but I hate this capitalism. Employers will not pay their staff decent wages and so expect their customers to pay instead.

[pomchop]

1 hour ago, NoshowJones said:

"and then expected to give another 15-25% tip on top". When I was in America, I refused to tip anywhere, but then I never went to the same restaurant twice. I love America and it's people but I hate this capitalism. Employers will not pay their staff decent wages and so expect their customers to pay instead.

tipping in america is totally out of control these days...and getting worse everyday....lucky to even get a thanks for a tip...i am not a big tipper in Thailand but it sure seems nice to receive a wai and thanks here for most any tip you may leave...latest in usa of course is tip cups at just about very starbucks or self serve place .

 

..i went to a little hole in wall place at usa east coast beach recently..ordered at a window an overpriced basket of so so shrimp...it was $16...then the gal at counter where i also picked it up sticks a tablet in my face to see if i want to click leave a20-25 or 30% tip..or u could click no tip...so i actually i left them zero as i was offended by the entire attempt to shame me into overtipping for a self service place...then manager comes over to ask me if something wrong and i told him it is an overpriced self service place with no seats, no service, and no tip...

[NoshowJones]

11 minutes ago, pomchop said:

tipping in america is totally out of control these days...and getting worse everyday....lucky to even get a thanks for a tip...i am not a big tipper in Thailand but it sure seems nice to receive a wai and thanks here for most any tip you may leave...latest in usa of course is tip cups at just about very starbucks or self serve place .

 

..i went to a little hole in wall place at usa east coast beach recently..ordered at a window an overpriced basket of so so shrimp...it was $16...then the gal at counter where i also picked it up sticks a tablet in my face to see if i want to click leave a20-25 or 30% tip..or u could click no tip...so i actually i left them zero as i was offended by the entire attempt to shame me into overtipping for a self service place...then manager comes over to ask me if something wrong and i told him it is an overpriced self service place with no seats, no service, and no tip...

Very well done. 

[black tabby12345]

I recognize that I have become more thankful and compassionate after my settlement in Thailand.

I started to appreciate what I used to take for granted before.

As well as more compassion to those who are less fortunate.

So I came to give food and other useful goods to the local homeless.

 

[Cat Boy]

Though I could easily name a hundred things, the first thing I felt upon arriving in 2005,was "a sense of home" that I'd never felt in the US my entire life.

 

A secondly, I felt safe. 

 

Those two things both remain true, though I moved from Phang Nga to Bangkok many years ago, I can walk anywhere I want, any time of the day or night, and not feel fear. 

 

After getting violently mugged in San Francisco in the mid-90s, that underlying insecurity, that fear was always there, until I arrived in Thailand. 

 

That, in part, is why I've not really had a back-up for Thailand, Taiwan, maybe Vietnam, really nothing compares to the Land of Smiles 

[Hummin]

20 minutes ago, Cat Boy said:

Though I could easily name a hundred things, the first thing I felt upon arriving in 2005,was "a sense of home" that I'd never felt in the US my entire life.

 

A secondly, I felt safe. 

 

Those two things both remain true, though I moved from Phang Nga to Bangkok many years ago, I can walk anywhere I want, any time of the day or night, and not feel fear. 

 

After getting violently mugged in San Francisco in the mid-90s, that underlying insecurity, that fear was always there, until I arrived in Thailand. 

 

That, in part, is why I've not really had a back-up for Thailand, Taiwan, maybe Vietnam, really nothing compares to the Land of Smiles 

Positive experiences and being able to continue cultivating positive experiences are the most important for continue feeling home in Thailand. 

 

A solid income or pension can contribute to the very same feeling of being home and also respected.