If you strip it back and answer without any fluff, would you honestly have ended up living in Thailand long term if you had zero interest in the women?

No attraction. No wife hunting angle. No romantic curiosity. None of it.

Would the food alone have done it. Or maybe the markets, the temples, the elephants, the beaches, the pad kra pao and mango sticky rice. The Thai smile. The chaos. The heat. The lower cost of living. The rhythm of it all.

Or would this have stayed a holiday destination you visit for two weeks, take photos, tell your friends about, and then fly home?

I am not judging, but often people talk as if they moved here purely for the culture, the cuisine, the spiritual depth. Yes, there is something addictive about the energy here. The mix of serenity and madness. But would that alone have been enough to uproot your life?

For some people, maybe yes. If you are deeply into Buddhism, photography, food culture, language learning, tropical living, or wanted a lower cost base and a different pace, that is fair enough.

For others, if we are being real, the women were at least part of the initial spark. Maybe the whole reason. Maybe not. Maybe not even the main reason long term. But the spark.

The more interesting question might be this. Even if that was the initial magnet, is it still the reason you stay?

But take romance completely off the table. No dating. No relationships. No flirtation.

Would you still have built a life here?

Be honest.

I have been here enough times in the past 50 years to feel like this is a second home. After the US 2016 election, this became my first home choice. I have lived in more than a few countries, and felt more welcome here than in any other. Far from perfect, but close enough.

Absolutely!

I've lived here 25+ years. I didn't come to Thailand for the women. There are plenty of women everywhere. If you don't look and act like Quasimoto, meeting women isn't a problem. I decided to retire here after working in Japan for 15 years and vacationing here for 2-3 months each year.
It's the peaceful mood of Thailand that appeals to me. It's the food, the friendly people, nature all around me all the time, these are the things that led me to relocate to northern Thailand. That works for me. 😊

No. Always wanted to visit for culture, beaches, food, see a few temples, Kanchanaburi and the area history, hill tribes and a few other sites.

Let’s be honest, I didn't come for the soi dogs, the ladyboys, the illegal gambling dens, the tattoo culture, and to experience life in the money laundering capital of the world.

Nope.

Would've eneded up in the Caribbean instead.

Yes, although if not for my village orphan, daughter, or meeting current wife after here 6 years, don't know how long I would have stayed. Saw most of the small A$$ country by that point, and had no reason to stay, except for the relationships. After selling each house, had to rethink, where I wanted to be, TH or elsewhere.

Woman have never been a issue, getting, although wanting to keep more than a year or less, seemed to be a challenge, for them. I don't do P4P, so no need to be here for that, the working gals. I won't support any extended family, so woman I've been with here in TH, were self supporting.

2016, when daughter finished high school, decision time again, if wanting to stay, and renting, and no need to be here. She's off to Uni at BKK, and going to live there, BKK, where I won't. Renting at that point, at Prachuap, and couldn't really think of any place else I'd rather be. Rented for 3 yrs, where we decided to build, as tester, see if going to settle here, on land we bought in 2015, or elsewhere, in TH, or not. TH won, as good or better than any where else I could think of going. Money not being an issue or reason to stay.

If not as old, or as lazy as I am now, along with daughter, visited yesterday, and still here, BKK now, I might look elsewhere. But no place is better than where we live, that I can think of, or wish to start over at. TH wins again.

44 minutes ago, 123Stodg said:

would you honestly have ended up living in Thailand long term if you had zero interest in the women?

Well, I fell in love with a young man on my first-ever visit in late 2011. Still together - first in Oz, mostly in Thailand - 14 years later.

Moved here as a work transfer, stayed for a woman.

Lived and worked in many countries, was planning on Vietnam after Thailand, and thought I'd eventually end up back in my home country for retirement.

Only when the next move was imminent did I realise I wanted to stay.

Came for the women....stayed for the Thai people and their overall ability to play the cards they were dealt and still be able to laugh and smile most all the time.

Almost 2 Meter high stack of books about SEA back home suggests that yes, I would still want to be here even if it costs the same and the women were uglier.

‘Moved here with my American wife, currently enjoying life more with a Thai partner.

We’d been here a couple of times and when Covid passed, we were here like a shot.

We both still wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Originally I came for the full moon parties in 1991, then I discovered Buddhism, then quite a bit later, I discovered the women.

I wouldn't go to a full moon party if you paid me now. I still enjoy Buddhism though and I'm quite partial to a little female company from time to time.

It's always about the women. Men are needy and can't be alone.

My first choice was Japan and I hooked up with a crazy Japanese woman who would have helped me settle there. Even her name suited her perfectly.... Natsu. Unfortunately she has 3 kids from a previous yank and I didn't feel like being a father.

For me it was an assortment of factors, I arrived in 1978 at the age of 30, and Bangkok was an exciting city to be in. After the falls of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, many of the journalists, war correspondents, soldiers of fortune, military types were in Bangkok. I soon made connections and doors opened for me to get into photojournalism. So it was this mixture of being in a very exciting place at an exceptional time, and finding employment. I was soon settled in renting a house, found myself a GF, had a large circle of friends. Everything just fell into place. Fast forward half a century and I'm still here, now living out in rural Korat with my Thai wife. Obviously I still enjoy living here. Yes, the Thai gals were a big part of the attraction back in my younger days, but I don't monkey around anymore. The cheap tasty food is a big plus, also the affordable holidays we can take around Thailand and the neighboring countries. The climate suits me, the locals are OK, I learned long ago how to keep a clean nose in Thailand.

1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

No. Always wanted to visit for culture, beaches, food, see a few temples, Kanchanaburi and the area history, hill tribes and a few other sites.

Whoh there boy! You were just telling us that before you landed, you lined up a woman online and then hooked up with the hotel worker when you arrived.

You have to stop the constant virtue signalling and try telling the truth.

Nothing at all to do with the women for me initially. Arrived to get as far away from my 'crazy' girlfriend as I could. There was a sigh of relief, knowing that she couldn't afford a ticket. There were enough backpacking foreign girls around to keep me busy.

7 minutes ago, IsmeUno said:

Nothing at all to do with the women for me initially. Arrived to get as far away from my 'crazy' girlfriend as I could. There was a sigh of relief, knowing that she couldn't afford a ticket. There were enough backpacking foreign girls around to keep me busy.

Me too, escaping my crazy Brit wife.

10 minutes ago, IsmeUno said:

Nothing at all to do with the women for me initially. Arrived to get as far away from my 'crazy' girlfriend as I could. There was a sigh of relief, knowing that she couldn't afford a ticket. There were enough backpacking foreign girls around to keep me busy.

I'm thinking, from what we've seen here in all your many aliases, it's you that's the crazy one. Talking to a woman like you talk here surely will have them run the other way. Keep you busy? In what way shall I ask? Using them with player BS until you've had your way with the naive? Or did you read poetry to them and buy them dinner with no ill intentions? Oh wait, you don't spend money on women, so that leaves dinner out.

39 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Talking to a woman like you talk here surely will have them run the other way. Keep you busy? In what way shall I ask? Using them with player BS until you've had your way with the naive?

You meant like the 90 women with whom that you claim to have had a physical relationship?

Absolutely 100 % only came here for the pooying yang waa, wouldn't of darkened this countrys doorstep otherwise..

1 hour ago, IsmeUno said:

You meant like the 90 women with whom that you claim to have had a physical relationship?

No, I had mutual physical relationships from mutual attraction. I also had many girlfriends. Hard to understand? Most relationships end because of different plans for the future. Understand yet? I had a body like Rambo for over 40 years. Women liked me. Hard to fathom, especially if you act the way you do here.

Just now, fredwiggy said:

No, I had mutual physical relationships from mutual attraction. I also had many girlfriends. Hard to understand? Most relationships end because of different plans for the future. Understand yet? I had a body like Rambo for over 40 years. Women liked me. Hard to fathom, especially if you act the way you do here.

So if I did the same thing that you did, it's:

1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

Using them with player BS until you've had your way with the naive?

But when it's you, it's ok because you had a body like Rambo. Got it.

Ya hypocrite!

I think I would likely live here regardless, though I must say I definitely have a thing for Thai women, and I ended up marrying one and after 20 years it's still going well so that's more than I can say for America. I never met an American woman who woke up cheerful, with a smile on her face, never in my entire lifetime.

Thailand rules! I love this place and I love absolutely everyday that I spend here. It's a good feeling waking up in Thailand. I go to America frequently, and I literally count the days until my return trip to Thailand. The quality of life for me here is infinitely higher, and I know many four members feel the same way.

when i moved to thailand, there was the woman pull, but now i would have happily stayed in thailand until my death even though its completely out of the question to have any relation

41 minutes ago, IsmeUno said:

So if I did the same thing that you did, it's:

But when it's you, it's ok because you had a body like Rambo. Got it.

Ya hypocrite!

Guess you missed the sarcasm there. I was responding the same way you do to me. Go back and think about that awhile.

44 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Guess you missed the sarcasm there. I was responding the same way you do to me. Go back and think about that awhile.

I definitely missed the sarcasm...'cos you are lying...again. You should add an emoji to let us know next time...ya hypocrite 😊

I originally came here to get my scuba Instructor certification and Thailand had one of the three best shops in the world for learning. I liked what I saw and stayed.

40 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I originally came here to get my scuba Instructor certification and Thailand had one of the three best shops in the world for learning. I liked what I saw and stayed.

I went to Malta and Jordan for mine!

Thailand is just another stop in an adult life spent in a host of countries. I have zero interest in Buddhism, whether at the wholesale level or retail level (where it is NOT a philosophy, but a "please give me" belief system, like every other faith), the temples are okay but not as appealing as the temples of India or the astonishing carpentry and joinery of the temples in Japan, the food is outstanding, the lifestyle pleasantly laid back, but admittedly the women put it over the top. I love the cultural concept of "sanuk", and find Thai women hellbent on expressing it. That all makes this current stop fun.

Culturally, I find India far more interesting and the country much more varied (Himalayas, deserts, jungles, beaches). I built a large collection of antique, hand woven tapestries while living there, and they adorn the walls of my residences now. Food is also great, and I grew fond of Bollywood dance numbers (incredible use of percussion).

In Japan I love the pride in everything they do, and the official acknowledgement of excellence in the title of National Treasure. I accumulated a bundle of hand tools, like chisels and saws and wood planes, in Japan that are of incredible quality. They are likely beyond my skill level as a craftsmen, but it makes the hobby more fun just appreciating the quality of the tools.

I'm here for whole package, even when elderly and perhaps zero interest in women you'll need one to take care of you and it will be way cheaper than back home