The difference in happiness is best described as follows:

some 30 years ago, driving through the inner of Phuket island a friend of mine and myself, both on a motorbike, encountered many small children in small villages.....ALL waving, smiling and laughing...so curious to see white strange men....

Even today one can see happy smiling children in Thailand's interior.

Try to ride your bike into the countryside in a western country....how many children are waving and happily smiling at you....?

LaoPo

they have time to wave at you becasue they have nothing else to do and no mental stimulation, if you need children to wave and smile at you, i suggest you see a therapist

The difference in happiness is best described as follows:

some 30 years ago, driving through the inner of Phuket island a friend of mine and myself, both on a motorbike, encountered many small children in small villages.....ALL waving, smiling and laughing...so curious to see white strange men....

Even today one can see happy smiling children in Thailand's interior.

Try to ride your bike into the countryside in a western country....how many children are waving and happily smiling at you....?

LaoPo

they have time to wave at you becasue they have nothing else to do and no mental stimulation, if you need children to wave and smile at you, i suggest you see a therapist

having a bad day Bingo ?

PS: I wonder...where are you ? Thailand ?

LaoPo

Anyone who thinks the Thais are happier should look at the suicide and homicide rates.

There could be an argument that the high levels are due to poor impulse control, which is another thing I see among the less well educated Thais, but even so, they aren't the figures of an especially happy population

Thais are not happier, they appear to be, as is to be expected in a face-valued society.

Happiness, as a noun, has different meanings in different countries and is very difficult to measure.

The difference in happiness is best described as follows:

some 30 years ago, driving through the inner of Phuket island a friend of mine and myself, both on a motorbike, encountered many small children in small villages.....ALL waving, smiling and laughing...so curious to see white strange men....

Even today one can see happy smiling children in Thailand's interior.

Try to ride your bike into the countryside in a western country....how many children are waving and happily smiling at you....?

LaoPo

they have time to wave at you becasue they have nothing else to do and no mental stimulation, if you need children to wave and smile at you, i suggest you see a therapist

------------------

I wish I could have thought of that. Humor is not dead on TV

No..

The politicians are gangsters.

The government are corrupted.

The economy's screwed.

The social life are getting worse.

One in ten people suffering from schizophrenia commit suicide. Are you saying that schizophrenia is just an excuse?

9 out of 10 do not - it would seem that the odds are that Schizophrenia is not an excuse and that perhaps something else (environemental?) is having an effect.

A gene that causes suicide would by the logic of the causal link die out. It's the genes that give higher chance of survival that.... erm..... survive.

Yes - Less junk mail and fewer tele-marketers calling.

They aren't as bitter and get over smaller issues faster. I was born in the US and they are culturally immature and get all bent out of shape about small things. Thais don't waste time with it and get on.

Most of the Thai folks I know love to have fun and are happy.

Also, I'm happier here more than the US.

One in ten people suffering from schizophrenia commit suicide. Are you saying that schizophrenia is just an excuse?

9 out of 10 do not - it would seem that the odds are that Schizophrenia is not an excuse and that perhaps something else (environemental?) is having an effect.

A gene that causes suicide would by the logic of the causal link die out. It's the genes that give higher chance of survival that.... erm..... survive.

That might make sense if humans with schizophrenia, or the like, were only affected by one gene. This is clearly not the case. People are made up of a mix of genes which is one reason why schizophrenics don't all act the exact same. Illnesses tend to be on a continuum from mild to severe. Of course, environment does play a factor, but even the best minds researching in this area can't decide how much it affects the development of schizophrenia and what type of environment does what. For this reason I suggested that suicide rates and drug abuse are best let out of the discussion on general happiness as they can easily take us way off topic- like we are now. Due to the complicated factors which govern drug abuse or mental illness development they are probably not good as indicators of the amount of happiness in a country. Does that make sense to you?

No..

The politicians are gangsters.

The government are corrupted.

The economy's screwed.

The social life are getting worse

---------------

Now do you mean i Thailand or in the US...

Very general question...

...however I can atest that the policeman that pulled me over yesterday for driving at 140kmh was certainly much happier than the policeman that pulled me over in Australia a few months back.

The end result was a little different also.

One in ten people suffering from schizophrenia commit suicide. Are you saying that schizophrenia is just an excuse?

9 out of 10 do not - it would seem that the odds are that Schizophrenia is not an excuse and that perhaps something else (environemental?) is having an effect.

A gene that causes suicide would by the logic of the causal link die out. It's the genes that give higher chance of survival that.... erm..... survive.

That might make sense if humans with schizophrenia, or the like, were only affected by one gene. This is clearly not the case. People are made up of a mix of genes which is one reason why schizophrenics don't all act the exact same. Illnesses tend to be on a continuum from mild to severe. Of course, environment does play a factor, but even the best minds researching in this area can't decide how much it affects the development of schizophrenia and what type of environment does what. For this reason I suggested that suicide rates and drug abuse are best let out of the discussion on general happiness as they can easily take us way off topic- like we are now. Due to the complicated factors which govern drug abuse or mental illness development they are probably not good as indicators of the amount of happiness in a country. Does that make sense to you?

so maybe there is a "happiness gene" an we have found our answer.

what about being satisfied or secure etc ?

but happier? yes, I do think so ... it's the weather ... it's why I am here ... I'm happier here then in my home country, so ...

I voted YES

I think Thais just have a different attitude towards problems in life. And the weather is surely a big component in their worry-free lifestyle. I've been living in London for 5 years and in the end I was always depressed, had huge mood swings and was utterly unhappy. Since I came to Thailand I never had a blue day again and every day seems like a holiday, even though I'm working hard.

I think everybody has different expectations about the things that makes one happy. My dad for instance chased happiness in form of new cars/bikes and other expensive hobbies and women. Once the initial excitement wore off, he had to find something else. It's a never ending hunt and in my opinion will never bring true happiness.

But what is true happiness? It's not something that comes from outside, from money or career or fame, but it has to do with the perception you have about yourself. Do you know who you are? I mean, REALLY?

This knowledge (or process of knowing) worked for me. It helped me to accept the past and not to worry too much about the future( for that I have my girlfriend hehe) and to just trust the universe.

So, if we talk about happiness, we should define it through its highest expression and here we inevitably enter into more spiritual dimensions. I know many here are allergic to it, therefore I'll stop here.

Happy Me

One in ten people suffering from schizophrenia commit suicide. Are you saying that schizophrenia is just an excuse?

9 out of 10 do not - it would seem that the odds are that Schizophrenia is not an excuse and that perhaps something else (environemental?) is having an effect.

A gene that causes suicide would by the logic of the causal link die out. It's the genes that give higher chance of survival that.... erm..... survive.

That might make sense if humans with schizophrenia, or the like, were only affected by one gene. This is clearly not the case. People are made up of a mix of genes which is one reason why schizophrenics don't all act the exact same. Illnesses tend to be on a continuum from mild to severe. Of course, environment does play a factor, but even the best minds researching in this area can't decide how much it affects the development of schizophrenia and what type of environment does what. For this reason I suggested that suicide rates and drug abuse are best let out of the discussion on general happiness as they can easily take us way off topic- like we are now. Due to the complicated factors which govern drug abuse or mental illness development they are probably not good as indicators of the amount of happiness in a country. Does that make sense to you?

It makes sense to me that not mix a mental illness (which naturally effects thought and emotion) with arguments on the root causes of suicide - to many complicaitons to count.

But it does not make sense to skip mental illness or drug/alcohol abuse when discussing hapiness.

I do not subcribe to the view that these issues are 'caused' by genetic or biological factors (although I would accept that genetics/biology may play some part in some cases - but by no means all. I do not think it is possible (sensible) to rule out environmental stresses, that have a proven link with mental illness and a clear link with unhappiness and I think the links between alchol/drug abuse and 'self medication' are well proven and hence cannot be ruled out.

So on that basis I say, elevated levels of mental illness and ellevated of alchol/drug abuse must be considered when discussing 'levels of happiness'.

One in ten people suffering from schizophrenia commit suicide. Are you saying that schizophrenia is just an excuse?

9 out of 10 do not - it would seem that the odds are that Schizophrenia is not an excuse and that perhaps something else (environemental?) is having an effect.

A gene that causes suicide would by the logic of the causal link die out. It's the genes that give higher chance of survival that.... erm..... survive.

That might make sense if humans with schizophrenia, or the like, were only affected by one gene. This is clearly not the case. People are made up of a mix of genes which is one reason why schizophrenics don't all act the exact same. Illnesses tend to be on a continuum from mild to severe. Of course, environment does play a factor, but even the best minds researching in this area can't decide how much it affects the development of schizophrenia and what type of environment does what. For this reason I suggested that suicide rates and drug abuse are best let out of the discussion on general happiness as they can easily take us way off topic- like we are now. Due to the complicated factors which govern drug abuse or mental illness development they are probably not good as indicators of the amount of happiness in a country. Does that make sense to you?

It makes sense to me that not mix a mental illness (which naturally effects thought and emotion) with arguments on the root causes of suicide - to many complicaitons to count.

But it does not make sense to skip mental illness or drug/alcohol abuse when discussing hapiness.

I do not subcribe to the view that these issues are 'caused' by genetic or biological factors (although I would accept that genetics/biology may play some part in some cases - but by no means all. I do not think it is possible (sensible) to rule out environmental stresses, that have a proven link with mental illness and a clear link with unhappiness and I think the links between alchol/drug abuse and 'self medication' are well proven and hence cannot be ruled out.

So on that basis I say, elevated levels of mental illness and ellevated of alchol/drug abuse must be considered when discussing 'levels of happiness'.

To say that happiness can be measured by the number of suicides and drug addicts in a country is unreasonable to me. After all, the majority of people in a country do not suffer mental illness (apparently) or do not commit suicide. Anybody with even a basic understanding of how these statistics are obtained would see that they are very flimsy. This is why in the OP, I asked what people here thought about whether or not people were happier in Thailand than their home countries. A quick goggle search would have given me tons of statistics to chew on, but I wasn't interested in these. I was interested in people's perceptions.

Sizing up the happiness of another person, particularly the happiness of someone in a different culture, is a practice fraught with peril. I have found that people are pretty much the same everywhere.

The difference in happiness is best described as follows:

some 30 years ago, driving through the inner of Phuket island a friend of mine and myself, both on a motorbike, encountered many small children in small villages.....ALL waving, smiling and laughing...so curious to see white strange men....

Even today one can see happy smiling children in Thailand's interior.

Try to ride your bike into the countryside in a western country....how many children are waving and happily smiling at you....?

LaoPo

they have time to wave at you becasue they have nothing else to do and no mental stimulation, if you need children to wave and smile at you, i suggest you see a therapist

lol

I think Thais are happy people in general. They smile and dont need much to make them happy. Great weather, great looking females etc.

The suicide rate should never be looked at seriously in Thailand, most of them arent even suicides. More like murders

And homicides don't mean folks aren't happy either. It just means they are more people willing to go all the way.

when i lived in the UK i never knew another person that did not want "more" or want to be better than the house next door. No-body has enough money, food, a big enough house or car etc. etc. It is hard work for anyone striving for things they might never attain to find something to smile about.

In Thailand most locals are fully aware they have all they will ever have and unless they, (or another family member), wins the lottery, the rest of their life will be spent the same way. So they are not miserable about not having enough and concentrate on making the most of what they have.

I agree, i think true thai people find happiness within themselves, they dont look out side of themselves for a fix, they accept themselves and everything around them as it is and get on with life.

In my experience, just observing the people around and comparing them to back home, they seem more content with life. It must be the "sabai sabai" and "mai pen rai" attitudes.

I noticed this thread was by garro.

This chap has a gift for tapping into the collective expat mind and pulling out interesting questions for us to ponder over. Well done.

peope are happier in thailand for sure,most live in rooms ,dont feel they have to keep up with the jones,all ride the same bikes,if you're not used to the nice things in life you dont miss them ,if you meet a thai who's been to a western country there attitude changes,they see the dirt and poverty more,and want more in there life than what they've got

I'm not sure that we're living in the same country. In the Thailand I live in 'keeping up with the Jonses' is the single most important thing in life. That's why everybody's in debt up to their eyeballs so they can afford the latest 4x4, mobile phone, laptop or whatever accessory or material possession (they perceive) makes them look good in the eyes of their friends/colleagues/peers/neighbours.

Agreed, another good topic by Garro.

This subject fascinates me, and it's one of the things I believe the Thais have down so much better than my own original country, the US. Generally speaking, and based on the first six years of my time with Thais having been spent in different parts of the US (as opposed to Thailand or elsewhere), I agree that Thais are far happier than people in the US, and that this is true even when Thais live and work in the US for many years--they're still happier, as a general matter.

The reasons are many:

1. Bhuddism

2. belief in destiny (helps to focus on and live in the present, and not too much on the future)

3. being relatively more a groupist culture than an individualist one

4. being more connected to family and community

5. the cultural traits of sanuk, mai pen rai and mai dtong kit mak (apologies for the poor transliteration), and maybe also of face and indirectness over accuracy and truth (doesn't get the rocket ship to the moon, but perhaps it's a factor here worth considering)

6. the lack of a free media (not saying this is good, but the reality is that a cost of free media, and one worth paying, I believe, is that, at least at this stage in the US media's growth as an institution, there's a heavy tendency to beat the public down every day with a constant mantra of how bad everything is, when in fact, by any objective comparison to the planet's billions as a whole, the 300 million in the US are doing just fine, and better than ever, from a larger historical perspective)

7. the relatively lower level of education

Of course, a number of the above are related. Also, since the Thai professionals I knew in the US were happier than their US equivalents (again, just speaking generally, of course--didn't do a sociologically sound survey or any Vulcan mind melding), that would seem to suggest 6 and 7 are less important factors.

I also agree that people worldwide are mostly the same. But there are small cultural differences that are significant, and I believe this idea of being basically content and happy on a day to day basis, as opposed to being basically discontent and cynical, is a key positive in Thais (and perhaps a number of other cultures as well, but not mainstream US). Also believe we should learn from it.

Cheers.

All that speculation is too complicated.

Just put it down to dumbing down of the masses by a relatively bright minority and you have the recipe for a (relatively) complacent

population.

peope are happier in thailand for sure,most live in rooms ,dont feel they have to keep up with the jones,all ride the same bikes,if you're not used to the nice things in life you dont miss them ,if you meet a thai who's been to a western country there attitude changes,they see the dirt and poverty more,and want more in there life than what they've got

I'm not sure that we're living in the same country. In the Thailand I live in 'keeping up with the Jonses' is the single most important thing in life. That's why everybody's in debt up to their eyeballs so they can afford the latest 4x4, mobile phone, laptop or whatever accessory or material possession (they perceive) makes them look good in the eyes of their friends/colleagues/peers/neighbours.

---------------

I would agree 100% from my experience. I would like to say other things but cannot as it would be expressing an etremely negative view of Thais people and Thailand which is against forum rules.

Plus what's the point anymore the same thing is said over and over.

If you have had a great experience with Thais then God bless you.

If you've been ripped to shreds, like me, well get over it and move on.

However it doesn't mean we have to like it, just learn from it.

If you're going to try to fight it (the "rip off"), I wish you all the luck in the world...

All that speculation is too complicated.

Just put it down to dumbing down of the masses by a relatively bright minority and you have the recipe for a (relatively) complacent

population.

------------------

Succinct and right on point.

Maybe too much truth for this venue though...

Qwertz and Pepe- not succint and not true. Easy cynicism masquerading as wisdom.

I also have a Thai ex-wife, and have had many bad experiences with Thais over the years, even with some I've represented for free. But if I step back and assess the situation, then it's pretty clear to me I've had far more positive experiences with Thais.

Yes, of course, the wondrous joy one sees in Thais (generally speaking) as they live daily life can be cynically dismissed as blissfull ignorance. But I believe there's a lot more to it as I laid out in my previous post and you did not rebut.

It's sad when two people who obviously have had great lives (as discerned from their own posts) can only see the negative, and then loftily proclaim that to be the truth that the balance of us are not prepared to hear.

Again, easy cynicism that is a transparent plea to be accepted as wisdom.

Qwertz and Pepe- not succint and not true. Easy cynicism masquerading as wisdom.

I also have a Thai ex-wife, and have had many bad experiences with Thais over the years, even with some I've represented for free. But if I step back and assess the situation, then it's pretty clear to me I've had far more positive experiences with Thais.

Yes, of course, the wondrous joy one sees in Thais (generally speaking) as they live daily life can be cynically dismissed as blissfull ignorance. But I believe there's a lot more to it as I laid out in my previous post and you did not rebut.

It's sad when two people who obviously have had great lives (as discerned from their own posts) can only see the negative, and then loftily proclaim that to be the truth that the balance of us are not prepared to hear.

Again, easy cynicism that is a transparent plea to be accepted as wisdom.

easy delusion masquerading as wisdom, get over yourself

All that speculation is too complicated.

Just put it down to dumbing down of the masses by a relatively bright minority and you have the recipe for a (relatively) complacent

population.

------------------

Succinct and right on point.

Maybe too much truth for this venue though...

Definitely right about the "bright minority" but as far as dumbing down is concerned, typically the masses don't need any help in that department.

Qwertz and Pepe- not succint and not true. Easy cynicism masquerading as wisdom.

I also have a Thai ex-wife, and have had many bad experiences with Thais over the years, even with some I've represented for free. But if I step back and assess the situation, then it's pretty clear to me I've had far more positive experiences with Thais.

Yes, of course, the wondrous joy one sees in Thais (generally speaking) as they live daily life can be cynically dismissed as blissfull ignorance. But I believe there's a lot more to it as I laid out in my previous post and you did not rebut.

It's sad when two people who obviously have had great lives (as discerned from their own posts) can only see the negative, and then loftily proclaim that to be the truth that the balance of us are not prepared to hear.

Again, easy cynicism that is a transparent plea to be accepted as wisdom.

---------------------

Now that's profound (actually very well composed) so you have a different opinion.

Anyway once again I've wasted enought ime on this but I'm only human.

Big difference I was stating factual, historical experiences. Not trying to dunk anyone else's opinion.

It is after all, all temporary and an illusion.

I am obviously still addicted to this mental/cyber masterbation.

One day at a time...