Maybe.

Work in Malaysia brought me to SE Asia and introduced me to the region and Thailand. I realised SE Asia had more work opportunities for me and Thailand would make a good base. I've worked, and still work regionally, though not in Thailand, for thirty plus years. Thailand became home and I married a local. If not married I might have considered other options regionally, but I'm happy enough here, it suits me well, and apart from family I have friends here too.

Illness - contracted aspergillos in a damp, cold basement office in London. That lead to several cases of severe pneumonia which physically damaged my lungs, leading to Bronchiectasis (incurable but controllable).

My doctor suggested that a hot and humid climate would help alleviate the symptoms, and a few trips to Thailand confirmed that. I relocated to Thailand in 2003, thereafter expanding my 'home' and work to Laos and Myanmar.

Very recently, I returned back to the UK to see if I could live there again in my retirement. I lasted all of 7 weeks before returning (last week) to base myself in Siem Reap (Cambodia), with regular trips planned into Myanmar. Whilst in the UK, my lung illness got worse again. I suppose I could 'snowbird' (winter in south-east Asia and summer in the UK), but my finances don't stretch to the outlandish costs of the UK!

As for women, I've been married 3 times and 3 times I've initiated the divorce because the women (in the UK and Thailand) seemed only interested in my money! (I was quite well off in years gone by). Now I find that being dirt-poor and only using my excess money for my charity keeps the female leeches away :)

80% of the game is the women. Not sure what the other 20% is.

Let's face it. There was a time when (for Farangs) Thailand was really "low cost". Pensioneers flocking to Thailand by the 10 thousands.

For those that diden't know before, they soon found out that "female company" was also "low cost".

Therefore, any Falang claiming that he has been immune versus the charm of Thai ladies has lost all credibility in my eyes.

3 hours ago, khaosokman said:

80% of the game is the women. Not sure what the other 20% is.

The 20% ? Perhaps butterfly hunters, pseudo budhists or Jehovas Witnesses?

6 hours ago, simon43 said:

Illness - contracted aspergillos in a damp, cold basement office in London. That lead to several cases of severe pneumonia which physically damaged my lungs, leading to Bronchiectasis (incurable but controllable).

My doctor suggested that a hot and humid climate would help alleviate the symptoms, and a few trips to Thailand confirmed that. I relocated to Thailand in 2003, thereafter expanding my 'home' and work to Laos and Myanmar.

Very recently, I returned back to the UK to see if I could live there again in my retirement. I lasted all of 7 weeks before returning (last week) to base myself in Siem Reap (Cambodia), with regular trips planned into Myanmar. Whilst in the UK, my lung illness got worse again. I suppose I could 'snowbird' (winter in south-east Asia and summer in the UK), but my finances don't stretch to the outlandish costs of the UK!

As for women, I've been married 3 times and 3 times I've initiated the divorce because the women (in the UK and Thailand) seemed only interested in my money! (I was quite well off in years gone by). Now I find that being dirt-poor and only using my excess money for my charity keeps the female leeches away :)

I have been following your "way of life" with interest. You don't have it easy.

I am not surprised that due to health problems and the high cost of living in the UK made you return to S/E Asia.

Especially sorry to hear, that 3 times "female companionship" didn't work out for you. But this is like sitting at the roulette table. As opposed to you, I was lucky as far as this is concerned.

Given the political situation in Myanmar, how do you cope?

PS: Is "Aspergillos" comparable to COPD? My COPD is also "stable". May it last.

I came for the sudsy massages, the fake Rolex watches, the pirated DVD movies, the original Thermae, the cheap beach bungalows on Koh Samet and the Patpong ping-pong shows, but that's all gone now. So I stayed for the all trolls on AN instead.

11 hours ago, khaosokman said:

80% of the game is the women. Not sure what the other 20% is.

Rather nice warm weather that allows me to go cycling most mornings.

In the UK it's been raining for the past 60 days.

7 hours ago, swissie said:

I have been following your "way of life" with interest. You don't have it easy.

I am not surprised that due to health problems and the high cost of living in the UK made you return to S/E Asia.

Especially sorry to hear, that 3 times "female companionship" didn't work out for you. But this is like sitting at the roulette table. As opposed to you, I was lucky as far as this is concerned.

Given the political situation in Myanmar, how do you cope?

PS: Is "Aspergillos" comparable to COPD? My COPD is also "stable". May it last.

The aspergillos caused Bronchiectasis, which is widening of the bronchi. Unlike COPD, this illness, although uncurable, doesn't progress if I avoid further infections, pneumonia etc, (the previous pneumonia already did the physical damage). So I do lung exercises every day and have some mucus medicines to help to cough up the gunge. It's not so bad :)

The Myanmar situation is very frustrating, because the military have made it very hard for schools to employ foreigners. I'm getting old anyway! So I've made siem Reap my 'base' and I plan to enter Myanmar on 28-day tourist visas, (and see if I get arrested for teaching in a voluntary capacity...)

2 advantages of not having a partner is that I spend less money, and I am not 'tied' down geographically. Neither of my Thai exes would ever contemplate giving charity to any Burmese people......

23 hours ago, 123Stodg said:

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.

being honest - I lived and worked in many different countries, some great western life in several European, a couple of African, many throughout Asia and even one in Central America. I kept a ledger of the good and bad (lMHO) and when I was ready to retire it came down to the PI or Thailand. I loved the SCUBA diving in crystal clear warm and full of sea life of the PI, I spoke Spanish, Tagalog and English so language was no problem;, cost of living could be fairly cheap and lots of golf courses; but, just couldn't go for the food and the 20 or so named storms every year and active volcanos so Thailand of course has some great foods, I speak Thai, the local people have always been really nice to me so since they have no snow or really cold weather, I retired here. I have been retired here for more than 20 years and still love it as a paradise IMHO. The cost of living is much cheaper than I would have in the US so I have no plans to ever leave here.

23 hours ago, 123Stodg said:

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.

Moved here for work, the ladies were a bonus.

I moved here with my girlfriend 21 years ago. We are still together and still here. I have worked in Asia for the majority of my life and lived in Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, China and Hong Kong. I also ran offices in Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Japan and Bangladesh. On balance I found Thailand to be the easiest and most comfortable place to settle long term.Not perfect, but then nowhere is.

However, I choose not to live in Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok or Isaan, but in the rural South. So many people chose to settle in the place where they holidayed or where they met their bar-girl partner, rather than choosing carefully a place that suits their long-term needs.

22 hours ago, SenorTashi said:

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.

Is it getting as hard to find little females here, as some claim?

Or are they being fatist?

20 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Is it getting as hard to find little females here, as some claim?

Or are they being fatist?

Swensens and Makro are full of tiny women!

No, but now that I'm a geriatric my interest in women has lessened and my appreciation of Thailand and it's people has grown a great deal. I spend five winter months a year here.

Chances were, in the case proposed, I would have settled in Southern Mexico. This due to proximity to USA and thus remaining family, familiarity with Mexico and the language. Retirement considerations were primarily cost of living and access to medical care. BUT ... as the lack of interest in females was not present ... I was hooked on Thailand after the first visit. Damn you Suzi Wong!!!

It's a good question. I think that's what brought me to thialand over the years. But when I finally retired we choose thailand for location, cost, (secondary) weather and food.

I brought my foreign wife with me so local ladies out of the question. I don't even flirt with them unless they really old or ugly!!

Another insular poster who believes the whole world shares his mind set.

Many here may have many reasons to no longer wish to live in the country in which they were born, and many reasons to choose to live in Thailand.

You may be surprised to learn that many people make descisions unrelated to feelings in their loins.

24 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Another insular poster who believes the whole world shares his mind set.

Many here may have many reasons to no longer wish to live in the country in which they were born, and many reasons to choose to live in Thailand.

You may be surprised to learn that many people make descisions unrelated to feelings in their loins.

Spot on, especially those who that don't need P4P, to have 'companionship'.

I didn't have any real reasons to leave the USA, and also didn't have any real reasons to stay. Do have reasons not to return, and mainly housing & healthcare cost. That's due to me, not maintaining an income level to meet those costs since retiring.

If not leaving the USA, my income increases would easily have matched or exceeded inflation levels. No desire to produce more income, so TH fits my LPOS comfy rural lifestyle, as would many other countries.

Anything posted here isn't just between you and me.

Fair questions. I’d say women had a lot to do with it even if some claim otherwise be it subconsciously or deliberate.

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Moved here for work, the ladies were a bonus.

Moved here for the ladies, online work was a bonus.

I moved here only to be with my Thai partner, who I have since married. I would not have moved to Thailand otherwise. Thailand has been a great experience for both of us, and I continue to enjoy living here. I enjoy a much better lifestyle here than I would in the US.

On 2/22/2026 at 8:57 AM, 123Stodg said:

But would that alone have been enough to uproot your life?

But in what sense did we “uproot our lives” by moving here???

Please explain!

I came here for the friendly culture, relaxed lifestyle, food, climate and all the other things that are better here than in my home country.

The thought of having to finish my last few decades in my home country could depress me but I don't have to think about it any more.

I'm happy with my choice to be here.

17 minutes ago, Look Chang said:

Moved here for the ladies, online work was a bonus.

I could not do online work, makes it too easy to get on the cans early in the day!

16 hours ago, khaosokman said:

80% of the game is the women. Not sure what the other 20% is.

That does not seem to make sense since the major reasoning is around the equable and excellent climate here by the sea.

18 hours ago, simon43 said:

but my finances don't stretch to the outlandish costs of the UK!

This is certainly also a very major factor in choosing where to love!

9 hours ago, Terrance8812 said:

So I stayed for the all trolls on AN instead.

Yes, a major attraction … !! ??.

Especially our VERY special troll: GG!!!

When I first came here in 2011 I didn’t realize that Thailand was known for their ladies I know that sounds strange but I just never knew that I’m trying to think before I came here if I ever really met a Thai person I once went in Arizona to a Thai restaurant but other than that I was pleasantly surprised TIT