First arrived in Thailand in 1962 aged 21. Loved it then, love it still.

Definitely a big No things have gone downhill it's all about making money now

Ripping people off especially tourists

Decades younger I traveled throughout Europe and Africa, airfares cheap and no wars.

2 hours ago, saintdomingo said:

GarryP at 19 years old were you looking for a long term/permanent stay here.?

Not really. I don't know what I wanted. I just started working and ended up staying here. Will be 44 years in October.

I cannot really speculate about how I would have been thinking today if I were a few decades younger.

Back then, there were different possibilities than there are now. Not to mention that the Thai baht was much cheaper, everything was cheaper, and you could live in a beach bungalow and enjoy an easy lifestyle for almost nothing.

Two decades ago, I was happy with books and a fan, and luxury meant having electricity from 7 to 10 in the evening on most of the beaches I traveled to. The reefs were still healthy, diving was still good, climbing felt exclusive and had a great community, and beach cinemas used a big white bedsheet with dirt-poor picture quality.

But it all had its charm. Everything changed with smartphones and the newer generations coming along. Back then, there was still that «The Beach vibe» before it turned into something else. In some places it became toxic.

Interesting question. After having lived here full time for a decade and visiting almost yearly since 1985, I would have to say Asia, but likely not Thailand if I was a young man again. Too many weird things going on now, esp. the messed up visa situation that is disadvantageous to most, the bizarre banking system that used to be more based on human contact, and the increasingly arrogant attitude/policies of both regular folks and government officials, which forces me to learn how to paste on a Thai smile more frequently to avoid being chastised. Given my travels and experiences, I would likely opt for Vietnam, as they seem to have a clearer idea of how to build the country to succeed in the future. Without massive reforms in a variety of areas, esp. education and the environment, Thailand will sadly remain the "sick man of Asia" for the foreseeable furture.

6 hours ago, 123Stodg said:

Would you still choose Thailand?

Yes.

NO!

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Visa options regarding age and financial requirements would put people in a different situation than they are today as their older self.

What he said.

The World has changed over the last 20, 30, 40+ years – both Thailand and our western home countries – and our mindset have would also have changed, because the environment is different. If my mindset haven't change I would definately chose Thailand again – it seems like my hountry has gone more downhill than Land-of-Smiles – but I'm not living in the past. I accept that things change. However, I don't regret my choice to move permanently to Thailand 20 years ago, even something has changed and is no longer the "same-same" as it was 20 years ago, it has become "but different".

If I should regret something, it might be that I didn't catch the possibility to get to here in the early 1970s happy hippie era – that period was cool, really amazing cool, but cannot be relived today, as the World has changed – but in the always crystal clear sight of hinsight it might be good that I didn't make it, as I might just had become one of the hippies that never returned. And if so, I couldn't catched up enough funds at home to provide for the life style I've enjoyed for the last 20 years, and likely can continue with. But on the other hand: When is enough, enough? I've met some of the 1970s' still standing hippies here, and the seems to be very happy living a quite modest life, just there are something to smoke...

Perhaps it is real that you can be "living in the past"...

2 hours ago, GarryP said:

2 hours ago, GarryP said:

Not really. I don't know what I wanted. I just started working and ended up staying here. Will be 44 years in October.

Not really. I don't know what I wanted. I just started working and ended up staying here. Will be 44 years in October.

Ta for the reply GP, been seeing your posts for many years - if that was you with the sketch of the guy with the screen and keyboard.

With my Thai partner, probably. Wthout my Thai partner, no.

I would be in Mexico (I could drive home at anytime and available SS Med/Med) or somewhere in S.America, easy language too.

Yes. It's still comfortable here. And even with immigration, there is a lot less paperwork in my life, here.

i think Thailand is for older guys. it suits a pretty laid back life style. when i was in my 20's.30's 40's i was living on the beach in Malibu. so it was the beach and than at 8pm drive into Hollywood for dinner and the clubs. back to Malibu at 2am. rinse and repeat.. the nightlife and entertainment is hard to beat compared to Hollywood.

Hmm, well pleased with my decision to be here in Thailand. Dealing, as an American in 2026 facing retirement? Mexico would have probably gotten the "nod" or a much closer look. I would still have the need for excellent medical care ... here Mexico has more to offer as regards healthcare insurance. Closer to the USA and Grandsons. l would also be looking closer at countries that would allow for a 2nd Citizenship due to current USA political conditions.

My repeated returns to Thailand were based on friends we had made among the expat bar and hotel owners, and their senior staff, when on holidays either together or with the kids as a family.
I moved here post divorce for similar reasons: safety net of friendly English-speakers only a few hours' bus/flight away. Then I bought a car and that all changed.
What I may have done differently before deciding specifically to move here would have been to visit a bloke I grew up with in our teens who had moved to Siem Reap. I would have visited him sooner, rather than after I'd been living here for 18 months or so. He now lives in Phnom Penh. I have visited him several times since.
Maybe, just maybe, I would have thought about Cambodia instead of Thailand.
For a start, it's a lot cheaper; so comprable price the quality of your rental is far superior; the visas are easy to get and require fewer hoops to maintain; and service is better in the restaurants and pubs. Taxis are relatively cheaper, and Grab operates. Tuktuks aren't members of some mafia co-operative and fares are fair.
And Westerners are still welcomed. Sure, the criminal element is there; card skimming and muggings still occur and, of course, the markets maaay start at a higher price for a pair of shorts or a skirt or whatever but that's SE Asia .

Gone are the days in Thailand (at least in Phuket, Krabi, and Kanchanaburi) when you'd go into a bar after a hard day of doing f all, and be offered a cool towelette by a smiling barmaid and then asked what you and your wife/kids wanted to drink. Rising costs, slowing trade by those that actually patronise such places, has dropped markedly in the last 15 years. That and the quality of staff. Service with a snarl.
Admittedly, my recent tours to Bueng Kan and Nakon Phatom showed a slightly different attitude because, as far as I and my mate could tell, foreigners, especially White ones (we saw a few minivans with Chinese tourists) seemed to be rare. And one that spoke Thai? We actually got smiles.

My friend in Cambodia? He told me his original plan. He thought, "I'm going to teach Science, Maths and English. I'll start with the second poorest country, because it's the easiest to get to, then go to the poorest [that'd be LPDR], then try the rest and see what I think." Didn't happen. Liked Siem Reap. Stayed.
Would I still be living here? Possibly. But I should have done more of a study of the options.

11 hours ago, 123Stodg said:

This is something I think most long term expats here have probably thought about at some point.

Imagine you were 20, 30, or 40 years younger again, back to the age when you first moved to Thailand. But instead of it being the 80s, 90s, or the early 2000s, imagine it is now, 2026. Same you, same mindset, just a completely different point in time.

Would you still choose Thailand?

I am not trying to rehash the usual “Thailand is not what it used to be” debate, but there is some truth in it. A lot of the opportunities that existed back then simply are not there anymore. Whether that is business, relationships, or even just the ability to explore places that have now become overly developed, it is a very different environment.

Mass tourism alone has exploded over the years, and that changes everything. It has also changed how many locals feel about engaging with foreigners. Many have lost interest. It also makes a number of places in the country less desirable to visit now, to be fair. Add in the broader situation in the world today, politically, economically, and environmentally, and it does make you wonder if Thailand would still stand out in quite the same way it once did. At the moment, it also has its share of problems, as it is losing its economic advantage in Southeast Asia and is expected to drop from the second to become the fifth largest economy in the region within just a few years.

Personally, I am not sure I would make the same choice if I were starting from scratch in 2026. That is not to say I would have ended up somewhere better, it could just as easily have been worse. Life paths are unpredictable.

And just to be clear, I am not knocking Thailand at all. It has been good to me, and I am perfectly happy here. It is comfortable, the people are nice, the cost of living is very reasonable, and overall I have no real complaints, aside from the heat and the air pollution.

I just do not know if, given the same decision today, I would end up on the same path, all things considered.

I doubt if it is something we could genuinely decide, people change when they get older, they think the country has changed but the changes are probably slight, what has changed is the person. (I am in my 60's).

True we can not explore the places we once could, for example I remember being in a forested area where I walked over a beam not much wider than my feet over a river and over rocks, I could not do that now due to balance ore even fear.

Women, when we were younger and some of us were good looking (😀) we could easily find good looking girlfriends of the same age, if we tried to find a young good looking one now we know it is the money which attracted them and nothing else.

Although some old guys convince themselves otherwise which I find funny.

Job opportunities, I was a freelance software engineer and traveled twice a week for example between England and Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and twice monthly to the USA, I would not have the stamina to do that again and probably partly as I do not need to financially.

We could go to dance clubs (discos) etc back then, we would stand out like sore thumbs if we tried to do it now.

So many people look around and see that Thailand has changed, in essence it has not but we have changed due to age.

Thailand is a great place still for me in Phuket, I don't know where the pollution comment came from as we all do not live in Bangkok or CM, there is no pollution problem where I live in Kathu, Kathu, the traffic here is no worse than what I was used to in the South East of England.

As for heat, air-con house/car/shops/restaurants, and it is not too hot after 6:30pm.

One thing I do stay away from by choice is hanging around a pub all day with bored old guys talking about the good old days and how Thailand has changed for the worse, there are much more interesting things to do than be dragged down by that crowd, life is interesting and there are not enough hours in the day to service those interests.

So my reply is Thailand has not changed in essence, but people do change and see the world in a different light as they age no matter where they are living, it is up to them to adjust to their own changing view of the world.

I have no idea. As a younger and less well off man, Thailand still is an adventure. Is it like the 90s - no! Nowhere is but I still enjoy my life here. I evolve with changes with myself and Thailand. Been lucky to enjoy each decade more than the last while in Thailand. Sat across from my beautiful wife at sunset on the Mekong river tonight sipping drinks and munching on snacks. No worries!

In the back of my mind, I was thinking a little about the our trip back to America later this year. Have to do it but wish I didn't have to. I know that here is much better for me.

100%. But i would stay rural not the tourist hotspots.

16 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Back in the day you'd get a weirdo from time to time but these days you can't go out nights without some sort of hostile confrontation.

Where are you going most nights to attract hostile confrontations? How do these confrontations manifest? What's a typical trigger?

On 4/7/2026 at 7:14 PM, The Oracle said:

My repeated returns to Thailand were based on friends we had made among the expat bar and hotel owners, and their senior staff, when on holidays either together or with the kids as a family.
I moved here post divorce for similar reasons: safety net of friendly English-speakers only a few hours' bus/flight away. Then I bought a car and that all changed.
What I may have done differently before deciding specifically to move here would have been to visit a bloke I grew up with in our teens who had moved to Siem Reap. I would have visited him sooner, rather than after I'd been living here for 18 months or so. He now lives in Phnom Penh. I have visited him several times since.
Maybe, just maybe, I would have thought about Cambodia instead of Thailand.
For a start, it's a lot cheaper; so comprable price the quality of your rental is far superior; the visas are easy to get and require fewer hoops to maintain; and service is better in the restaurants and pubs. Taxis are relatively cheaper, and Grab operates. Tuktuks aren't members of some mafia co-operative and fares are fair.
And Westerners are still welcomed. Sure, the criminal element is there; card skimming and muggings still occur and, of course, the markets maaay start at a higher price for a pair of shorts or a skirt or whatever but that's SE Asia .

Gone are the days in Thailand (at least in Phuket, Krabi, and Kanchanaburi) when you'd go into a bar after a hard day of doing f all, and be offered a cool towelette by a smiling barmaid and then asked what you and your wife/kids wanted to drink. Rising costs, slowing trade by those that actually patronise such places, has dropped markedly in the last 15 years. That and the quality of staff. Service with a snarl.
Admittedly, my recent tours to Bueng Kan and Nakon Phatom showed a slightly different attitude because, as far as I and my mate could tell, foreigners, especially White ones (we saw a few minivans with Chinese tourists) seemed to be rare. And one that spoke Thai? We actually got smiles.

My friend in Cambodia? He told me his original plan. He thought, "I'm going to teach Science, Maths and English. I'll start with the second poorest country, because it's the easiest to get to, then go to the poorest [that'd be LPDR], then try the rest and see what I think." Didn't happen. Liked Siem Reap. Stayed.
Would I still be living here? Possibly. But I should have done more of a study of the options.

On 4/7/2026 at 7:14 PM, The Oracle said:

My repeated returns to Thailand were based on friends we had made among the expat bar and hotel owners, and their senior staff, when on holidays either together or with the kids as a family.
I moved here post divorce for similar reasons: safety net of friendly English-speakers only a few hours' bus/flight away. Then I bought a car and that all changed.
What I may have done differently before deciding specifically to move here would have been to visit a bloke I grew up with in our teens who had moved to Siem Reap. I would have visited him sooner, rather than after I'd been living here for 18 months or so. He now lives in Phnom Penh. I have visited him several times since.
Maybe, just maybe, I would have thought about Cambodia instead of Thailand.
For a start, it's a lot cheaper; so comprable price the quality of your rental is far superior; the visas are easy to get and require fewer hoops to maintain; and service is better in the restaurants and pubs. Taxis are relatively cheaper, and Grab operates. Tuktuks aren't members of some mafia co-operative and fares are fair.
And Westerners are still welcomed. Sure, the criminal element is there; card skimming and muggings still occur and, of course, the markets maaay start at a higher price for a pair of shorts or a skirt or whatever but that's SE Asia .

Gone are the days in Thailand (at least in Phuket, Krabi, and Kanchanaburi) when you'd go into a bar after a hard day of doing f all, and be offered a cool towelette by a smiling barmaid and then asked what you and your wife/kids wanted to drink. Rising costs, slowing trade by those that actually patronise such places, has dropped markedly in the last 15 years. That and the quality of staff. Service with a snarl.
Admittedly, my recent tours to Bueng Kan and Nakon Phatom showed a slightly different attitude because, as far as I and my mate could tell, foreigners, especially White ones (we saw a few minivans with Chinese tourists) seemed to be rare. And one that spoke Thai? We actually got smiles.

My friend in Cambodia? He told me his original plan. He thought, "I'm going to teach Science, Maths and English. I'll start with the second poorest country, because it's the easiest to get to, then go to the poorest [that'd be LPDR], then try the rest and see what I think." Didn't happen. Liked Siem Reap. Stayed.
Would I still be living here? Possibly. But I should have done more of a study of the options.

Very nice post to read. A lot of farangs know very little about Thai culture or locations. Lots of tourist spots now aren't much good at all. Central Hua Hin is a dive. The smaller the town the nicer the people. Even the farangs are better.