21 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

There is a certain type of long-term expat in Thailand who seems to complain about just about everything, the corruption, the traffic, the bureaucracy, the air pollution, the heat, the visa system, the customer service, even about the locals. Some of these types of foreigners have been here for decades, are constantly criticizing the country, but never actually go somewhere else, or back to where they came from, even though they feel unhappy. 

 

If a place makes someone that unhappy, why do they stay? Maybe it's a kind of quiet addiction to the chaos, or even just the comfort of complaining?

 

I suspect there could be some unspoken truth that, despite all the moaning, Thailand still offers a kind of freedom or simplicity they don’t feel they’d find back home and that's why they stay. Or maybe they really do want to leave, but they are simply stuck here for financial reasons. 

The most meta post on AN of all time!  🙂

21 hours ago, blaze master said:

Another original thread.  You have really outdone yourself this time. 

 

Maybe the forum should change it's name to click bait.com?

AMEN!!! Some American/UK/EU boomers are just entitled to their entitlements!

 

No wonder they raised generations of mentally and physically challenged children.

 

The emperor has no clothes!

Then there are the farangs that complain about all the "coloured" people "back home" (I always thought that white was a colour!), but come to live in Thailand.

 

One British acquaintance kept on complaining about Thailand, so a few years ago he decided to go back to England to live.  Within a week he was on social media complaining to friends here about how England was now "full of backs and Asians" and he needed to get back to Thailand where it was safer.

 

Another Australian acquaintance complained to me that he left Australia to live in Thailand as there were "too many Middle Eastern types and Asians" living in Australia now.

 

Oh the irony,

On 7/9/2025 at 5:15 PM, SoCal1990 said:

There is a certain type of long-term expat in Thailand who seems to complain about just about everything, the corruption, the traffic, the bureaucracy, the air pollution, the heat, the visa system, the customer service, even about the locals. Some of these types of foreigners have been here for decades, are constantly criticizing the country, but never actually go somewhere else, or back to where they came from, even though they feel unhappy. 

 

If a place makes someone that unhappy, why do they stay? Maybe it's a kind of quiet addiction to the chaos, or even just the comfort of complaining?

 

I suspect there could be some unspoken truth that, despite all the moaning, Thailand still offers a kind of freedom or simplicity they don’t feel they’d find back home and that's why they stay. Or maybe they really do want to leave, but they are simply stuck here for financial reasons. 

Not another expat with common sense and a brain in thailand. I'm off to Cambodia!   😁.   

On 7/9/2025 at 6:39 PM, brewsterbudgen said:

I complained about the UK when I was living there, and I will complain all I like about the ridiculous aspects of living here.  

sounds like a hoot to hang out with you...

On 7/9/2025 at 11:23 PM, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

I used to go regularly to an Aussie bar in Phuket a few years ago, it was a good laugh, once or twice when I was asked where I was from by a new Aussie I would say England.

 

One or two said, "Ah never mind, we have lots of winging poms in Australia".

 

My standard reply is, if I was forced to move from the great country of England and end up living in a Camel infested desert at the arse end of the world then I would moan all day long.

 

I follow it by asking them what is the difference between yoghurt and Australians.

 

The answer is yoghurt has culture. 😃

 

 

 

 

Haha brilliant. That’s the kind of top-shelf banter that gets you either a beer or a punch, depending on how many Bundys they’ve had.

 

The “camel-infested desert at the arse end of the world” line is savage—and fair. I mean, imagine being so proud of a country where everything wants to kill you, including the wildlife, the sun, and half your exes.

 

And the yoghurt joke? Brutal… but let’s be honest—yoghurt does mature eventually. Most Aussies hit peak culture when they discover shoes are sometimes required indoors.

 

Still, gotta love ‘em. Loud, sunburnt, and allergic to irony—but deep down, they’d sell their last stubby for a bit of British class and an actual sense of history.

 

You’d fit right in at the bar, mate. Just make sure you duck when someone yells Oi Pom!

Color me crazy, but in my opinion the people most unhappy seem to be living in "tourist" or "metro" areas.

 

I did the Pattaya / BKK thing for 3 years, found out that I was looking for a quieter life with not so many expats with the 'war' stories they tell, and generally the more expensive living costs with less service.
  
Now living in a gated community of 30 houses ( 2 other 'mixed' couples ), and a host of friendly neighbors including my landlord and local kids keeps me and the wife in good spirits.

 

Located 20 minutes from center downtown Korat, 4 major stores within 15 minutes on my electric trike at slow speed, keeps us in touch, but at the same time, separated from the unhappy folks that seem to haunt the more popular areas of Thailand - we also have a  condo in BKK and a house in her home village.

 

Since we have a house in Korat, the 4 sisters and 1 brother in law ( ALL relatives living over 100 miles away 😀 ) plus their kids, ( hard to keep count of their rugrats )  visit, usually for just a day or two and are ALWAYS welcomed.

 

LIFE in Thailand is what YOU make of it.

 

YOUR LOCATION and YOUR LIFESTYLE ( married or single ) is the KEY to being happy in the environment that YOU CAN CONTROL and CREATE if YOU desire !!!

 

Oh, a HINT

For your MEDICAL needs, register at a THAI MILITARY HOSPITAL, many have  English speaking people.

 

If truth be known most expats who complain can't afford to leave Thailand 

Age plus most of their money invested in a family house and so on 

The other reason quite a few don't have the capital to move else where

So just keep moaning 😏 

On 7/9/2025 at 6:22 PM, Cameroni said:

The funniest is these Scandinavian socialists who'll tell you how amazing their country is, but they don't want to live there.  They'd rather be in Thailand, lol.

Scandinavian socialists?.....Do you even take yourself seriously?🤡

1 minute ago, ujayujay said:

Scandinavian socialists?.....Do you even take yourself seriously?🤡

 

Popular socialism or people's socialism (Danish: Folkesocialisme) is a distinct socialist current from the Nordic countries.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_socialism_(Nordic_countries)

On 7/9/2025 at 5:15 PM, SoCal1990 said:

There is a certain type of long-term expat in Thailand who seems to complain about just about everything, the corruption, the traffic, the bureaucracy, the air pollution, the heat, the visa system, the customer service, even about the locals. Some of these types of foreigners have been here for decades, are constantly criticizing the country, but never actually go somewhere else, or back to where they came from, even though they feel unhappy. 

 

If a place makes someone that unhappy, why do they stay? Maybe it's a kind of quiet addiction to the chaos, or even just the comfort of complaining?

 

I suspect there could be some unspoken truth that, despite all the moaning, Thailand still offers a kind of freedom or simplicity they don’t feel they’d find back home and that's why they stay. Or maybe they really do want to leave, but they are simply stuck here for financial reasons. 

Good God. Not you again!?

These are born losers... without a home or country.

On 7/9/2025 at 5:15 PM, SoCal1990 said:

There is a certain type of long-term expat in Thailand who seems to complain about just about everything, the corruption, the traffic, the bureaucracy, the air pollution, the heat, the visa system, the customer service, even about the locals. Some of these types of foreigners have been here for decades, are constantly criticizing the country, but never actually go somewhere else, or back to where they came from, even though they feel unhappy. 

 

If a place makes someone that unhappy, why do they stay? Maybe it's a kind of quiet addiction to the chaos, or even just the comfort of complaining?

 

I suspect there could be some unspoken truth that, despite all the moaning, Thailand still offers a kind of freedom or simplicity they don’t feel they’d find back home and that's why they stay. Or maybe they really do want to leave, but they are simply stuck here for financial reasons. 

The first "If you don't like it here you should go back to your home country" thread of the day. Didn't take long. A forum's a good place to sound off about things you don't like, it's also more interesting for other users than reading about how nice people have been to you. Everyone in the world complains, I don't care who they are. Gandhi was always complaining about the Brits. I bet even Mother Theresa had a good old whinge at times. YOU even complained in your original post about people who complain on here. Are you thinking about heading back home?

On 7/9/2025 at 5:31 PM, SoCal1990 said:

 

Another complainer. Touching that you always show up with such strong wisdom. Must be exhausting keeping such close tabs on my posts. Meanwhile, the topics you create are all fantastic. Oh wait…

Sorry, he's right.

Your post is an amalgam of platitudes and pushes open doors.

Moreover, there are no statistical or sociological references...

On 7/9/2025 at 5:15 PM, SoCal1990 said:

There is a certain type of long-term expat in Thailand who seems to complain about just about everything, the corruption, the traffic, the bureaucracy, the air pollution, the heat, the visa system, the customer service, even about the locals. Some of these types of foreigners have been here for decades, are constantly criticizing the country, but never actually go somewhere else, or back to where they came from, even though they feel unhappy. 

 

If a place makes someone that unhappy, why do they stay? Maybe it's a kind of quiet addiction to the chaos, or even just the comfort of complaining?

 

I suspect there could be some unspoken truth that, despite all the moaning, Thailand still offers a kind of freedom or simplicity they don’t feel they’d find back home and that's why they stay. Or maybe they really do want to leave, but they are simply stuck here for financial reasons. 

You are a misguided soul thinking that just because someone has a complaint that they are not happy and should leave. There is good and bad in everything and everywhere you go. 

I couldn’t agree more.  I’m about to retire near Buriram next year and my main priority in the location of my house build has been to stay away from other foreigners. Thais are much more pleasant.

On 7/9/2025 at 7:09 PM, NanLaew said:

In our circle of happily cantankerous geriatrics in the back of Bahn Nawk, I find that those who complain most viscerally are those that have never left Thailand for years, just doing endless yearly extensions that they abhor and 90-day reports that they liken to being treated like a criminal.

 

The comment that one needs to 'get out more' is usually taken as a slight against a fellow member's lack of perspective but when it comes to the serial moaners, especially the English ones that harp on about immigration in a country they probably burned all their bridges in last century, they really, REALLY do need to get out more.

 

Or at least try and stop calling it Tesco's FFS!

I think you raise a very good point, if you never leave Thailand and travel around, you just don't have any perspective on your life here. I have the good fortune of leaving Thailand at least twice a year for trips back to America, in addition to some travel around the region, and every time I leave Thailand I'm looking forward to coming back. Every time. 

On 7/10/2025 at 12:02 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

Both of these posts seem driven by a deep-seated dislike for younger generations, with the authors gaslighting themselves through invented falsehoods to prop up their own confirmation bias.

 

In truth, they simply reveal who the miserable old farts are. Regardless of age; be it young, middle-aged, or olde, decent people tend to get along and approach life with a balanced outlook.

 

As for the idea that there's somehow ten times the number of socially inept youngsters here compared to the West, where they’ve supposedly ascended to godlike status in their own minds - that’s utterly preposterous.

 

Thailand is an ego boost for any man, young or old, who gets called “handsome man” as he walks past a massage parlour, but let's not kid ourselves - the boomers lap it up just as much as the younger lads do. The difference? The younger ones often aren’t paying for the hottie they’re dating. Thailand’s middle class has grown, social norms have shifted, and there’s far more openness now than in years past - it seems some forum members are becoming bitter about this, but they're not seeing more competition, they're just seeing their own decline.

 

I’ve seen it firsthand - been here since my twenties. Now, nearly three decades on, I don’t attract the same kind of attention from the women I’d actually be interested in. These days, it’s more of a passing glance from a working girl hanging off the arm of an ageing expat, seeming to wonder if she could’ve done better. That subtle sideways look from the hi-so stunner in Emporium? That’s a decade long gone gone... 

 

Some older folks grow bitter with age, while others learn to embrace it - it all comes down to outlook. But let’s not point fingers at the younger guys. They’re just doing exactly what you (both above) would have done if you’d been here in your twenties and thirties. And don’t kid yourselves - they’ve got game. It’s just that the game has changed, and they’ve adapted with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some very good points that you raise here, thanks for that. I completely agree and I think that if we're not doing some sort of inner work the aging process simply tears us down. It's humiliating, it's humbling, and watching ourselves diminish before our very eyes is just simply too much for some people to handle, and they become negative, grouchy, moody, annoying and unpleasant to be around.

 

On the other hand for those of us that are willing to engage in some inner work, be it contemplation, reflection, spiritual work of some sort, positive affirmation, or something to maintain good perspective on life and our many blessings, we tend to grow, and not become lesser versions of ourself, and we don't give in to the gravitational pull and the decline that comes with aging. 

 

If we're not actively doing something to fight the good fight, and battle the degradation, then it's all downhill. 

On 7/10/2025 at 11:27 AM, BritManToo said:

Loads under 50Kg here in Chiang Mai.

13 year olds don't count - 555

On 7/9/2025 at 6:39 PM, brewsterbudgen said:

I complained about the UK when I was living there, and I will complain all I like about the ridiculous aspects of living here.  

I have come to the conclusion, that after having lived in 10 countries and 5 continents that the sum (let’s say 5) of complaints remain the same, it’s just the subject of complaints that change. This goes for each and every country. 😂 so the conclusion for me is, get over it, you’ll never find your utopia.

On 7/9/2025 at 12:23 PM, bkk6060 said:

Seems to be mostly those folks who have the reputation as "a country of complainers".  UK never seem happy about anything. 

Just spent a month in the UK and it's not surprising they complain because there is a LOT to complain about. #ThirdWorldCountry

There is a difference between complaining and address issues....In the Western world we are allowed to discuss topics, as here in Thailand the same discussions always are being seen as complaining... An example was that in school we were with other teachers talking about the coming English Camp and how to deal with the kids, but a Thai English teachers told us that we were complaining again, but we just discussed some issues of the previous English Camp and how we could improve the problems we got there. Just to say

5 minutes ago, Drumbuie said:

Just spent a month in the UK and it's not surprising they complain because there is a LOT to complain about. #ThirdWorldCountry

 

 

I spent a similar amount of time there recently........................I must have stayed in a different places (or with different people) because the whining was minimal.

On 7/9/2025 at 5:15 PM, SoCal1990 said:

There is a certain type of long-term expat in Thailand who seems to complain about just about everything, the corruption, the traffic, the bureaucracy, the air pollution, the heat, the visa system, the customer service, even about the locals. Some of these types of foreigners have been here for decades, are constantly criticizing the country, but never actually go somewhere else, or back to where they came from, even though they feel unhappy. 

 

If a place makes someone that unhappy, why do they stay? Maybe it's a kind of quiet addiction to the chaos, or even just the comfort of complaining?

 

I suspect there could be some unspoken truth that, despite all the moaning, Thailand still offers a kind of freedom or simplicity they don’t feel they’d find back home and that's why they stay. Or maybe they really do want to leave, but they are simply stuck here for financial reasons. 

You nailed it. 👍

 

Some here were born miserable. 

 

I reckon the problem is MONEY.

 

These constant moaners are struggling financially, they're here on a meagre budget, no money to enjoy themselves, so they sit on their keyboard, whinging and whining, day in day out, not exercising, eating their junk food and drinking heavily. 

 

The photo below is one of our miserable moaners here. 

 

 

hello. i'm new here. can somebody please help me?

30 minutes ago, Mark1969 said:

hello. i'm new here. can somebody please help me?

🤣

I don't see how complaining about certain things in life supposedly, according to the OP, means you are unhappy.

 

Complete BS.

 

It's freedom of speech and back in most expats home countries no doubt the same things were voiced.

 

Of course complaints about living here on this platform I guess are relatively safe as opposed to complaining in person, which could land you in a whole lot of pain, deformation, LM or simply no service whatsoever, not to mention a battering.

On 7/9/2025 at 5:34 PM, angryguy said:

Bobs threads make the forum better

No they don’t and OP ain’t Bob.

3 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

There is a difference between complaining and address issues....In the Western world we are allowed to discuss topics, as here in Thailand the same discussions always are being seen as complaining... An example was that in school we were with other teachers talking about the coming English Camp and how to deal with the kids, but a Thai English teachers told us that we were complaining again, but we just discussed some issues of the previous English Camp and how we could improve the problems we got there. Just to say

This is what they teach the children here. Control is what goes on here. You talk, you're hit. Complaining is the only way things have changed anywhere since time began. Letting this stalemate is what controllers want. Suppressed, so the rich in charge don't have any competition. The more speak, the more complain, the faster things are changed. Some don't want that. Most do.