I lived in Thailand for a couple years and it took me a couple years to recover and actually became more sociable than previously before spending time in Asia. As an antisocial person, being away from home and around other just as socially awkward people makes you feel more at home but its just a crutch. If you stay too long you won't be able to reacclimate to the west, and essentially you've already burned you bridge. The fact you kept property back home doesn't matter as your mind is too far gone

You are only around people who can't and won't see the perspective of others so you come online. And I notice nobody here is up for discussion. I only see trolling on one extreme and on the other attempting to censor what they dont want to see.

Try to touch some grass and make small talk with whoever and try to get information about your reality instead of seeking anything online since its not real. Once your mind stops growing you are essentially dead. Not living, merely existing. Does anyone here have an actual social life? If so why you do still come here

Too much A/N will most definitely give folks brain rot.

8 minutes ago, novacova said:

Too much A/N will most definitely give folks brain rot.

Because there's nothing original. It started at the turn of the century like the original star wars. And then subsequently every sequel got worse and now there's nothing to learn here. George Lucas even said himself about these sequels he has no say in, he just is wondering why can't they add anything new to his ideas?

Edited Saturday at 03:47 AM3 days by harvardgrad

1 minute ago, harvardgrad said:

Because there's nothing original. It started at the turn of the century like the original star wars. And then subsequently every sequel got worse and now there's nothing to learn here. George Lucas even said himself about these sequels he has no say in, he just is wondering why can't they add anything new to his ideas?

It seems some folks tend to isolate themselves after a while here, then get on the internet and vent.

41 minutes ago, harvardgrad said:

Does anyone here have an actual social life? If so why you do still come here

I'm on social media while watching YouTube, listening to podcasts or background movies and series. You can see friends and do social media.

You do need personal skills before you get here otherwise you will get isolated

Edited Saturday at 04:09 AM3 days by scubascuba3

6 minutes ago, novacova said:

It seems some folks tend to isolate themselves after a while here, then get on the internet and vent.

I can understand why, since as I said the locals dont have an interest in different perspectives. And I see neither do the regular posters here. And small talk with other random foreigners can actually turn dangerous knowing that thai immigration officers can't distinguish between a third world person with white skin knowing only war and crime, and then a white person with a chang wife beater and flip flops whos only.crime is destroying his liver with alcohol dependence. I would isolate myself too there

Bit of a clickbait title there, mate. 😂

Your headline asks “Does living in Thailand cause brain rot?” but after wading through all that, the actual question turns out to be “Does anyone here have an actual social life?”

I came for the brain rot and got a sociology lecture. 😆

40 minutes ago, harvardgrad said:

You are only around people who can't and won't see the perspective of others so you come online.

Human interaction is over-rated.

I don't get along that much with too many people online. It's pretty much the same in real life.

Online is better in many ways. People who don't like my posts ignore them and vice versa and who cares? At least I don't waste a few hours in a bar with someone where the conversation can get boring or even turn into an argument and then you're trapped there.

Your "bar friends" .... you're basically suppressing real conversation so you have someone to drink with. But as soon as you start talking about serious topics, you may start to rub each other the wrong way. Just as we do online. It's the default place to hang out and I doubt there's too much "lack of brain rot" going on. Probably causing more brain rot.

Why don't people watch a profound movie and then analyze it? Doesn't happen too often.

For brain rot prevention, learn stuff, learn a language, learn an instrument.

And the smartest and most interesting people on the planet are the guys who make movies (well, a lot of movies are stupid, but not all), or they have blogs or write books ... the interaction is one way but it doesn't matter.

5 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Human interaction is over-rated.

I don't get along that much with too many people online. It's pretty much the same in real life.

Online is better in many ways. People who don't like my posts ignore them and vice versa and who cares? At least I don't waste a few hours in a bar with someone where the conversation can get boring or even turn into an argument and then you're trapped there.

Your "bar friends" .... you're basically suppressing real conversation so you have someone to drink with. But as soon as you start talking about serious topics, you may start to rub each other the wrong way. Just as we do online. It's the default place to hang out and I doubt there's too much "lack of brain rot" going on. Probably causing more brain rot.

Why don't people watch a profound movie and then analyze it? Doesn't happen too often.

For brain rot prevention, learn stuff, learn a language, learn an instrument.

And the smartest and most interesting people on the planet are the guys who make movies (well, a lot of movies are stupid, but not all), or they have blogs or write books ... the interaction is one way but it doesn't matter.

I've spent more time online than you probably and its all time I could have used better. I disagree only because I'm a hands on learner maybe.

1 hour ago, harvardgrad said:

Try to touch some grass and make small talk with whoever and try to get information about your reality instead of seeking anything online since its not real. Once your mind stops growing you are essentially dead. Not living, merely existing. Does anyone here have an actual social life? If so why you do still come here

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My social life revolves around my wife and kids, my two Brit pals, and her two Thai female friends.

I don't really have time for anyone else.

Sorry you are lonely, how about buying a dog or rabbit?

16 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My social life revolves around my wife and kids, my two Brit pals, and her two Thai female friends.

I don't really have time for anyone else.

Sorry you are lonely, how about buying a dog or rabbit?

Because I also dont have time. I talk with everyone I see, or attempt to. Each time I gain a new perspective. Something not possible there or online, I've already seen the opinions here and they havent changed

2 minutes ago, harvardgrad said:

Because I also dont have time. I talk with everyone I see, or attempt to. Each time I gain a new perspective. Something not possible there or online, I've already seen the opinions here and they havent changed

It is easy to identify the people here that have little to no human interaction other than what is inside the place they live in, they keep hitting and jabbing because they forgot how to communicate with other people. I would wager that many of you barely even talk to your spouse. I like to talk to everyone, I’m not shy and not scared of non English speaking Thai people and I just improvise and communicate with anyone.

1 minute ago, ArchieBunker said:

It is easy to identify the people here that have little to no human interaction other than what is inside the place they live in, they keep hitting and jabbing because they forgot how to communicate with other people. I would wager that many of you barely even talk to your spouse. I like to talk to everyone, I’m not shy and not scared of non English speaking Thai people and I just improvise and communicate with anyone.

Being self aware is a great gift too, and it can take people a long way.

1 hour ago, harvardgrad said:

If you stay too long you won't be able to reacclimate to the west,

This has been so for hundreds of years. People who relocate to different countries have automatically broadened their horizons. The people "back home" have not; they are still talking about their possessions and prices thereof. You no longer have a common point of reference.

If you are lucky enough to return home and meet an ex Expat then you will have commonality even if the guy used to live in Africa.

I landed up in Bangkok in part because there is a social network and have many mates.

Living in Thailand does not cause brain rot. Being miserable and antisocial does irrespective of location.

Social interaction is essential as we age because it protects cognitive function, lowers the risk of chronic illness, and improves overall mental well-being.

Key Benefits of Socializing

• Better Brain Health: Regular conversations and community engagement help exercise memory and executive function, which can slow down cognitive decline and lower the risk of dementia.

• Stronger Physical Health: Staying connected is linked to lower blood pressure, reduced inflammation, better sleep, and a stronger immune system.

• Improved Mental Wellness: Meaningful ties reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, decreasing the risk of depression and anxiety.

Ways to Stay Connected

• Join local groups: Sign up for book clubs, art classes, or exercise groups through your Mayo Clinic Health System or community center.

• Volunteer: Offer your time to local schools or charities to build a sense of purpose.

• Keep casual contact: Chat with neighbors or schedule regular phone calls with family members.

There are plenty of groups to join in larger cities, if living out in the sticks there are fewer choices. Same thing with volunteering. I spent a few years volunteering at the Father Ray Foundation in Pattaya and learned a lot as well as making a good Thai friend.

Early days, living in the village ... YEA

My vocabulary started going downhill fast. Especially before having internet at the house, as no social interaction with native English speaker. Didn't discover forums until 2005/6, and didn't last long on TV.

Luckily someone started a local forum. Though double edge, and also made me regress back to anti social

When I did finally get internet at house, it was for trading, and chit chat with folks in USA, so not much help.

No TV programing, just DVDs, and action movies, or Disney, kid movies, as daughter learning English was more important. Back then, more interestng that the adult crap they put out anyway. Getting past 2 syllable words was rare 🤣

Part of reason why I'm on the internet as much as I am now, reading and keeping brain cells active. Same with the dog taking me for my morning walks, to the park and surfside, as she can simply take me down the soi a 100m or so to do her business. She forces me to move around for a few kms a day, and peek at and appreciate where we live.

Mental & physical therapist. Got to lover her 🙄

EDIT: OK, actually read the OP now, as was replying to the title. Yea, have social life, but same as @BritManToo revolves around dog, wife, kid & family. No need for more social contact than that.

To OP, get a hobby. From your interactions here on AN, I suspect you're not exactly a people person.

Edited Saturday at 05:34 AM2 days by KhunLA

5 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

This has been so for hundreds of years. People who relocate to different countries have automatically broadened their horizons. The people "back home" have not; they are still talking about their possessions and prices thereof. You no longer have a common point of reference.

If you are lucky enough to return home and meet an ex Expat then you will have commonality even if the guy used to live in Africa.

I landed up in Bangkok in part because there is a social network and have many mates.

Living in Thailand does not cause brain rot. Being miserable and antisocial does irrespective of location.

That's not really what I'm getting at. Settling in Asia is the end of the line as far as learning anything new. I've searched and the internet is just a black hole for creativity. I like having AI as a summary so I don't have to waste too muxh time browsing anymore but that too seems like a fad where everything online degrades quickly to eventually dying like all social media seems to have just become a wasteland of recycled thoughts.

Finding a new friend is fine but I'd rather relearn things without help. Looking back at all the bad advice and misinformation so readily available I'd rather gather my own recon for the only life thay matters which is where I'm liv8ng. Im wondering how much of the expats here actually know about their neighborhood if they can't get correct info from their neighbors

19 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Being self aware is a great gift too, and it can take people a long way.

Sure it is, though too many use the internet for group therapy and the only social support and lose their wherewithal.

Uhh.. no.

Just now, harvardgrad said:

Settling in Asia is the end of the line as far as learning anything new.

What do you want to know/learn.

Wood carving?

Knowledge about Chinese business scams?

Learning the guitar?

Zen and the art of small scooter repair?

Failure to learn anything new is nothing to do with location. Having moved forget everything you thought you knew about living where you did before.

Oh! Indonesian for a feather duster is Bulu Ayam.

Thai for spicy and sex are almost the same so Mi Phed (were British) means you'll still get spicy food but no sex.

2 hours ago, harvardgrad said:

Does living in Thailand cause brain rot?

Gammaglobby lives here (allegedly).

Georgie "the mop" boi visits (allegedly).

They both have extensive brain rot.

There is a trend!

'Loneliness' gets wayyy too much spotlight.

People need to learn to be comfortable with being alone.

Yer born alone, you will die alone.

You truly are alone in this . . . whatever it is.

Needing others is just a crutch.

Most people are just dumb anyways.

Do you really want to associate with that?

2 hours ago, harvardgrad said:

You are only around people who can't and won't see the perspective of others so you come online.

If this is an issue for anyone then perhaps they shouldn’t be engaging on internet discussion boards as it could be a mental health hazard and figure out a way to find some real friends. Personally don’t care about maintaining a certain recognition or a concern of how a viewed by others in circle or like minded clan on a forum, that is just childish and silly. While most here will fall in line just to maintain points and get a pat on the back, they’ll sacrifice pragmatism for it. Personally can freely agree or disagree with anyone here without any concern about what others think, there’s some folks here hold a permanent childish grudge towards others for having a different perspective or a disagreement, we’re talking about mature adults here mind you. So, if something is misrepresented or lied about by whoever, their credibility is going to get called out, my real world friends are treated no differently.

1 hour ago, harvardgrad said:

You are only around people who can't and won't see the perspective of others so you come online. And I notice nobody here is up for discussion. I only see trolling on one extreme and on the other attempting to censor what they dont want to see.

Try to touch some grass and make small talk with whoever and try to get information about your reality instead of seeking anything online since its not real. Once your mind stops growing you are essentially dead. Not living, merely existing. Does anyone here have an actual social life? If so why you do still come here

We are all different and live our lives different, at least slightly. And we do not all settle in the same kind of places. Some settles in more rural areas, where interaction with other foreigners is limited — even just meet someone. And socializing with the locals is a question of both speaking their language well enough for just a small talk; and furthermore, our interests might not be shared.

Internet and SoMe is a cool invention that makes us keep contact with others — not to forget easily keep contacts with family and friends in our home country, where before, a letter and a month or more waiting for a reply, was the only possibility; apart from rare and expensive short telephone calls.

Internet also gives us an excellent opportunity to follow news and other necessary stuff — ASEAN NOW is great for an good view in English of what is happening in Thailand, and also for keeping us up-to-date about visa-rules and extension of our stays — and if we wish to learn something new, so our brain is not rotting, we have plenty of choices online; even when living in the back of an Isaan rice field or other remote places, like on a smal island.

Some of us are also more introvert and don't like to mingle too much with strangers. It's much more polite just to scroll by a post with an opinion you don't agree in — or not clicking into a thread of no interest — than being impolite and walk away from someone you are not interested in meeting in a pub or other places, where foreign Westerners asemble. When I'm out in the pulsating nightlife, I enjoy the atmosphere, but am not interested in small talk with strangers — just leave me alone, then I'm extremely happy, this is my style of life...🥳

Yes, to "touch some grass" is good, but you can easily do it by just walk bare feet on also earth or sand — yes, I do that every day and feel an excellent "ground connection" — and still keep your mind running. Not all of us need to meet and talk to someone — actually it can be a pleasant relief not to, and just keeping the "touch some grass" in the more physical sentence...

So, if you OP feel that too many postings and threads in the forums here — or other online sites — are "trolling on one extreme and on the other attempting to censor what they dont want to see", I presume that you are most welcome to scroll on; or even better, get out and touch some grass like me, when I finish writing this comment, which nobody else is interested in, but I happily got my POV out anyway...😊

I would assume anyone would get brain rot if they sit in a bar all day drinking, but that would be the same if you did that in any part of the world.

55 minutes ago, novacova said:

Sure it is, though too many use the internet for group therapy and the only social support and lose their wherewithal.

Part of the problem with this forum is that everyone with a loud and strong opinion wants to tell others how to live their lives, while not doing especially well themselves, but still spending too much time and effort trying to convince others.

There is nothing wrong with spending time alone, and nothing wrong with hanging out with friends in bars. What matters is what you do, how you feel about it, and whether it actually works for you. If something adds something positive to your life, fine. If it keeps making your life worse, then maybe it is worth looking at what you are choosing.

Some wise person once said, “What you are not changing, you are choosing.”

I would say no, but it's not for everyone. Do not confuse isolation for wanting solitude, but there are dangers and caveats for the fragile minded. If you are a stoic-minded type, then you are good to go... anywhere.

Edited Saturday at 06:32 AM2 days by Sir Dude

I think living here will help stave off brain rot.

My work gives me new experiences, communicating in a second language exercises my brain - even after many years here I see new things that make me smile. I also have a select group of 'falangs' I can meet up with if I want to gossip in English.

And the Thai Missus make sure I eat healthy food.

Another factor is that the politics here are 'none of my business', so it doesn't make me depressed, unlike whenever I see news from my old country.

1 hour ago, harvardgrad said:

I've already seen the opinions here and they havent changed

This, of course, points to your own limitations.

15 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Some wise person once said, “What you are not changing, you are choosing.”

...adding a few words so it doesn't qualify as a 'low value' post.