3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Money, being in the right place and right time, and a good sense of humor. I'd be willing to bet there are thousands of foreigner-Thai relationships that do fine because the woman gets to buy things and show off. And many do not communicate because the man doesn't speak much Thai. If you're planning to stay here, it's a good idea to learn so some can get over on you, talking behind your back, but many do just fine using translator, especially if their women aren't speaking the man's language much.

Money has nothing to do with a good relationship. That just buys a fake one. A good relationship is based on love, common interests and fun.

Just now, Harrisfan said:

Money has nothing to do with a good relationship. That just buys a fake one. A good relationship is based on love, common interests and fun.

Money has everything to do with relationships here, and in other poor countries as well. In the west, men and women are more equal, the women are more independent, and the ages are closer because of this.

50 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Money has everything to do with relationships here, and in other poor countries as well. In the west, men and women are more equal, the women are more independent, and the ages are closer because of this.

Nope. Only fools pay sinsot and monthly allowances. Fake relationships.

You only need money for rent and food. If a woman isnt happy she can piss off. There is 1m to choose from.

On 1/23/2026 at 3:32 PM, georgegeorgia said:

Today I watched something very sad about people particularly in the seniors age group

And people ask me why I don't retire to Pattaya / Thailand... because you are bored ...bored expats who regret retiring there ,

Watched a YouTube video of several young British men being arrested for fighting in Pattaya ,but they were not violent they were compliant with police they with handcuffs on made to sit whilst a crowd of older farangs watched

That's not the sad part ....the sad part was the crowd around them with their phones out taping it....the majority yes the majority were farangs OVER the age of 50 , phone OUT ,standing in a crowd, ok it was mixed with looking European farangs but nevertheless the majority were old farangs

I must ask why you people interfere or even have an interest in other people's lives ?

Are you that bored that much time on your hands you need to STOP and video tape something that has nothing to do with you !!!

Several times in Pattaya doing my studies I have been "interfered" with

I once taking pictures of the spa baths on the balconies of a condo in Jomtien standing opposite on the road

A old british guy in one of those mobility scooters was driving up the road towards Jomtien , he stops " what are you doing mate?

in a abrupt tone !

"Minding my own business " I said as I continued to take pictures of the spa baths

Are you that bored as an expat you must stop and interfere in other's lives ??

This is why I don't want to retire as of yet and move full time

Your all bored , bored of life

Admit it please

You must interfere in other's business

And you still meet other farangs like that .....I was in that sports bar in Soi Bukhao last October when I overheard two farangs whispering and laughing to each other about another customer who was with clearly a ladyboy

I mean who cares ?

Maybe I'm a City boy born and bred so I have no interest in what others do , get a life !!!

Retired to Thailand in 1993 aged 53. Now 84, never ever bored.

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Retired to Thailand in 1993 aged 53. Now 84, never ever bored.

And I am sure many stories to share- please do as your worldly experience would be welcome here

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Retired to Thailand in 1993 aged 53. Now 84, never ever bored.

What is your secret?

How is it possible to never be bored? I dare to say boredom is necessary for a good healthy life, where boredom can or will make you more creative.

How did you manage to make the days pass without getting bored?

3 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Retired to Thailand in 1993 aged 53. Now 84, never ever bored.

I don't want to sound condescending if that's the meaning ,but I guess at 84 you can't afford to be bored , time is ticking

33 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Oh get a life ! Lol

Hearing that from you, makes no sense at all 🤔

I do not think you understand the importance of being bored, and use that boredom for something useful, do something about it.

Life is not fun 24/7, life is not interesting all the time, but even you being bored at times, doesn't mean your life is boring.

AI says

Yeah. This is a solid insight—and you’re right to push it further instead of just admiring it.

Boredom isn’t a failure state. It’s a signal. It’s what happens when your brain isn’t being constantly entertained, and that’s exactly when something useful can happen.

A few reframes that actually help:

1. Boredom is cognitive idle time, not emptiness

When nothing is demanding your attention, your brain switches to default mode. That’s where:

ideas connect,

memories resurface,

values get clarified,

long-term thinking sneaks in.

If you kill boredom instantly (scrolling, noise, stimulation), you also kill that process.

2. A boring moment ≠ a boring life

You already said it, but it’s worth underlining:

A good life has plenty of boring minutes.

A shallow life often feels “fun” all the time.

Meaning requires contrast. No boredom → no depth.

3. Use boredom deliberately (this is the “do something about it” part)

Instead of escaping it, assign it a job:

Observation mode:

When bored, don’t reach for input. Ask: What am I avoiding thinking about?

The first uncomfortable thought is usually the useful one.

Micro-creation:

Write one paragraph. Sketch badly. Outline an idea. No goals, no polish.

Boredom is great for low-pressure creation.

Maintenance tasks:

Boredom is perfect for the unglamorous stuff: organizing, cleaning, planning, fixing small loose ends. These quietly improve your future mood.

Question practice:

Keep 3 standing questions for bored moments, like:

What’s slightly broken in my life right now?

What do I want more of this year?

What am I postponing for no good reason?

4. Don’t dramatize boredom

Boredom doesn’t mean something is wrong.

It usually means: nothing urgent is happening — which is a privilege, not a problem.

27 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Hearing that from you, makes no sense at all 🤔

I do not think you understand the importance of being bored, and use that boredom for something useful, do something about it.

Life is not fun 24/7, life is not interesting all the time, but even you being bored at times, doesn't mean you life is boring.

AI says

Yeah. This is a solid insight—and you’re right to push it further instead of just admiring it.

Boredom isn’t a failure state. It’s a signal. It’s what happens when your brain isn’t being constantly entertained, and that’s exactly when something useful can happen.

A few reframes that actually help:

1. Boredom is cognitive idle time, not emptiness

When nothing is demanding your attention, your brain switches to default mode. That’s where:

ideas connect,

memories resurface,

values get clarified,

long-term thinking sneaks in.

If you kill boredom instantly (scrolling, noise, stimulation), you also kill that process.

2. A boring moment ≠ a boring life

You already said it, but it’s worth underlining:

A good life has plenty of boring minutes.

A shallow life often feels “fun” all the time.

Meaning requires contrast. No boredom → no depth.

3. Use boredom deliberately (this is the “do something about it” part)

Instead of escaping it, assign it a job:

Observation mode:

When bored, don’t reach for input. Ask: What am I avoiding thinking about?

The first uncomfortable thought is usually the useful one.

Micro-creation:

Write one paragraph. Sketch badly. Outline an idea. No goals, no polish.

Boredom is great for low-pressure creation.

Maintenance tasks:

Boredom is perfect for the unglamorous stuff: organizing, cleaning, planning, fixing small loose ends. These quietly improve your future mood.

Question practice:

Keep 3 standing questions for bored moments, like:

What’s slightly broken in my life right now?

What do I want more of this year?

What am I postponing for no good reason?

4. Don’t dramatize boredom

Boredom doesn’t mean something is wrong.

It usually means: nothing urgent is happening — which is a privilege, not a problem.

Absolutely

Even going to work everyday in a exciting job can be boring

Why don't you spare a thought for the poor ASEAN staff sitting in a skyscraper reading our posts

1 minute ago, georgegeorgia said:

Absolutely

Even going to work everyday in a exciting job can be boring

Why don't you spare a thought for the poor ASEAN staff sitting in a skyscraper reading our posts

Work have never been boring, since my work always demanded something from me, and if I was not happy, I started something new!

At once I felt stuck, didn't like what I did, I went on to do something new.

New work. New places. New people always have me a new energy, and when that energy dies, change or timeout!

44 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Work have never been boring, since my work always demanded something from me, and if I was not happy, I started something new!

At once I felt stuck, didn't like what I did, I went on to do something new.

New work. New places. New people always have me a new energy, and when that energy dies, change or timeout!

Let me leave you with this

Yesterday is history

Tommrrws a mystery

And today is a gift

5 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Let me leave you with this

Yesterday is history

Tommrrws a mystery

And today is a gift

Today we are here, next week somewhere else!

47 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Today we are here, next week somewhere else!

Yep, Sunday for us, someplace else. Monday ... unplanned, and, someplace else maybe, or 2nd day at first stop.

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Yep, Sunday for us, someplace else. Monday ... unplanned, and, someplace else maybe, or 2nd day at first stop.

Absolutely beautiful...thankyou for your service

5 hours ago, Hummin said:

What is your secret?

How is it possible to never be bored? I dare to say boredom is necessary for a good healthy life, where boredom can or will make you more creative.

How did you manage to make the days pass without getting bored?

A very broad range of interests, a relatively young wife (72), and lots of cats and dogs.

12 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

A very broad range of interests, a relatively young wife (72), and lots of cats and dogs.

Keeping your self busy, yeah it helps Alot, but sometimes there is days you wish you where somewhere else? And when you go somewhere else, it doesn't refill the bucket, and need something new, new challenges.

To honest this trip I had no chance to be bored, and leaving next week again for 15 days.

I think it is blatantly clear who is bored.

10 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Retired to Thailand in 1993 aged 53. Now 84, never ever bored.

Retired to Thailand in 2010, aged 59. Now 74, never ever bored, either. Cheers.

Just now, newnative said:

Retired to Thailand in 2010, aged 59. Now 74, never ever bored, either. Cheers.

Living and working in Thailand since 2008, semi retired 3 years ago - never been bored here.

15 hours ago, Hummin said:

Hearing that from you, makes no sense at all 🤔

I do not think you understand the importance of being bored, and use that boredom for something useful, do something about it.

Life is not fun 24/7, life is not interesting all the time, but even you being bored at times, doesn't mean your life is boring.

AI says

Yeah. This is a solid insight—and you’re right to push it further instead of just admiring it.

Boredom isn’t a failure state. It’s a signal. It’s what happens when your brain isn’t being constantly entertained, and that’s exactly when something useful can happen.

A few reframes that actually help:

1. Boredom is cognitive idle time, not emptiness

When nothing is demanding your attention, your brain switches to default mode. That’s where:

ideas connect,

memories resurface,

values get clarified,

long-term thinking sneaks in.

If you kill boredom instantly (scrolling, noise, stimulation), you also kill that process.

2. A boring moment ≠ a boring life

You already said it, but it’s worth underlining:

A good life has plenty of boring minutes.

A shallow life often feels “fun” all the time.

Meaning requires contrast. No boredom → no depth.

3. Use boredom deliberately (this is the “do something about it” part)

Instead of escaping it, assign it a job:

Observation mode:

When bored, don’t reach for input. Ask: What am I avoiding thinking about?

The first uncomfortable thought is usually the useful one.

Micro-creation:

Write one paragraph. Sketch badly. Outline an idea. No goals, no polish.

Boredom is great for low-pressure creation.

Maintenance tasks:

Boredom is perfect for the unglamorous stuff: organizing, cleaning, planning, fixing small loose ends. These quietly improve your future mood.

Question practice:

Keep 3 standing questions for bored moments, like:

What’s slightly broken in my life right now?

What do I want more of this year?

What am I postponing for no good reason?

4. Don’t dramatize boredom

Boredom doesn’t mean something is wrong.

It usually means: nothing urgent is happening — which is a privilege, not a problem.

I liked your post and agreed with most of everything in it. My only quibble would be using the word 'bored' to decribe 'when your brain isn't being constantly entertained'. I was one of the posters who said that I'm never bored. And, I don't feel that I am. That doen't mean that every waking moment my brain is 'being constantly entertained'. It's not, or course. But, I don't feel that boredom is necessarily the opposite of a brain not currently being entertained. I liked 'cognitive idle times' better. For me, these periods are more like pauses, needed downtimes, and I use this time in many of the ways you describe in your post.

16 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

I don't want to sound condescending if that's the meaning ,but I guess at 84 you can't afford to be bored , time is ticking

You've said this quite a few times, telling the older people here they don't have much time left, when no one knows when they will pass, including you.

People can live to over 100 and young people die every day. I wouldn't be Mr. Doom & Gloom anymore, as you never know when the Grim Reaper might come up to you while you're mopping floors and tell you it's time to go.

Yes, it's condescending and I'm sure everyone here is quite tired of hearing it.

Just now, newnative said:

I liked your post and agreed with most of everything in it. My only quibble would be using the word 'bored' to decribe 'when your brain isn't being constantly entertained'. I was one of the posters who said that I'm never bored. And, I don't feel that I am. That doen't mean that every waking moment my brain is 'being constantly entertained'. It's not, or course. But, I don't feel that boredom is necessarily the opposite of a brain not currently being entertained. I liked 'cognitive idle times' better. For me, these periods are more like pauses, needed downtimes, and I use this time in many of the ways you describe in your post.

I will agree with you, because I do feel Im never bored these time either, but I do not manage to sit down with a book anymore, and most of the blaim is on me of course, but before internett and 24/7 access to internet through smarthphones and tablets, I was bored, and if nothing else to do, I picked up a bood, made some notes, schetces, plans, dribbling ideas or anything, now I just pick up the closest device and for an instance answering you, which I enjoyed to read and answer, or some others idiotic posts I really shouldn't bother dealing with.

So my point is with this post, we are losing creativity, and thats a bit sad not only for ourselves, but the world where all these energy could be have used differently.

Im for sure, could made our farm up and running with surplus instead of more or less brake even as it is today, but that will happen when Im here more than 6 months a year.

We never pauses the brain anymore, to be bored, and with internet it is not only phones, tablets or computers, but smarth speakers, tv´s, even in the car, at the public transports, even the planes so we are connected everywhere, all the time. Before we had to wait for our favourite tv, movie and radio shows, now it is anytime at anyplace.

I have plenty to do, but it actually distracts me especially when out in nowhere where I should had enjoyed to boring life a bit more, and let me be bored more often.

Again, boredom is not negative!

32 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I will agree with you, because I do feel Im never bored these time either, but I do not manage to sit down with a book anymore, and most of the blaim is on me of course, but before internett and 24/7 access to internet through smarthphones and tablets, I was bored, and if nothing else to do, I picked up a bood, made some notes, schetces, plans, dribbling ideas or anything, now I just pick up the closest device and for an instance answering you, which I enjoyed to read and answer, or some others idiotic posts I really shouldn't bother dealing with.

So my point is with this post, we are losing creativity, and thats a bit sad not only for ourselves, but the world where all these energy could be have used differently.

Im for sure, could made our farm up and running with surplus instead of more or less brake even as it is today, but that will happen when Im here more than 6 months a year.

We never pauses the brain anymore, to be bored, and with internet it is not only phones, tablets or computers, but smarth speakers, tv´s, even in the car, at the public transports, even the planes so we are connected everywhere, all the time. Before we had to wait for our favourite tv, movie and radio shows, now it is anytime at anyplace.

I have plenty to do, but it actually distracts me especially when out in nowhere where I should had enjoyed to boring life a bit more, and let me be bored more often.

Again, boredom is not negative!

"boredom is not negative" ... spot on

When my body is not in motion, or I'm simply sitting with a view taking it all in, that's not boredom, just appreciating life.

When on the internet, researching whatever, or even trolling AN, can't really say I'm bored, though might not manage my time as good as I should. But it beats past days of going to the library to research things.

Never was a TV watching person, even days past, I'd record anything of interest and FF past the commercials. Past 40 yrs, I didn't even have any TV programming, or TV for that matter. Only have one now, as a laptop monitor. If not for torrents, I wouldn't watch anything. I watch more YT vids, time wise, than movies/tv series.

When I can't think of things to occupy my time, I take the dog for walk, or a drive with my cameras.

59 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

"boredom is not negative" ... spot on

When my body is not in motion, or I'm simply sitting with a view taking it all in, that's not boredom, just appreciating life.

When on the internet, researching whatever, or even trolling AN, can't really say I'm bored, though might not manage my time as good as I should. But it beats past days of going to the library to research things.

Never was a TV watching person, even days past, I'd record anything of interest and FF past the commercials. Past 40 yrs, I didn't even have any TV programming, or TV for that matter. Only have one now, as a laptop monitor. If not for torrents, I wouldn't watch anything. I watch more YT vids, time wise, than movies/tv series.

When I can't think of things to occupy my time, I take the dog for walk, or a drive with my cameras.

I Never had a impression you struggled with negative boredom like someone else here.

Boredom becomes negative when you become stuck in your own mind, and do not see the opportunities around you for some reason.

I feel someone didn't find the Paradise they once dreamed of, or lost the Paradise feeling somewhere along their journey. If that is correct phrased or makes some kind of sense ?

32 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I Never had a impression you struggled with negative boredom like someone else here.

Boredom becomes negative when you become stuck in your own mind, and do not see the opportunities around you for some reason.

I feel someone didn't find the Paradise they once dreamed of, or lost the Paradise feeling somewhere along their journey. If that is correct phrased or makes some kind of sense ?

Thailand is an interesting place

4 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Thailand is interesting

It is interesting in many ways and aspects.

But honestly if I didn't met my wife, I would had been in Brasil by now, and I'm maybe better off here when looking back. Less freedom, can't travel as safe as in in Thailand, restricted areas where you can walk in a city without being robbed, mugged or beaten up, and the political environment as well?

The best thing with Thailand is still direct flights to Europe!

Leaving next week for 15 days, and it makes it alot easier just to jump on a plane on short notice without the hassle of changing planes

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

It is interesting in many ways and aspects.

But honestly if I didn't met my wife, I would had been in Brasil by now, and I'm maybe better off here when looking back. Less freedom, can't travel as safe as in in Thailand, restricted areas where you can walk in a city without being robbed, mugged or beaten up, and the political environment as well?

I think Brasil is dangerous.

1 minute ago, Harrisfan said:

I think Brasil is dangerous.

It can be, for sure

5 minutes ago, Hummin said:

It can be, for sure

I love Thailand. Love the freedom. Love the people. Only dislike is pollution.

34 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

I love Thailand. Love the freedom. Love the people. Only dislike is pollution.

Pollution is my only concern for now