Disgruntled Farang Going Home

[sua yai]

You are a sad person.

Suggest you go home to whatever hole in the ground you live in.

Take a good, long look at yourself.

[pnustedt]

Expat life isn't for everyone - some can mix it, some can't.

I have found that most expats go through stages: For the first 6 months everything is new and exciting. Then the niggles begin to creep in and you start to miss things from back home. From year 1 to just beyond year 2 things get on top of you and you just want to pack up and go home. I think that's why many ex-pat contracts are for two years.

However, live thru the two years and you start to learn to cope with things - and to concentrate on the things that you can influence and let the things go that you can't influence.

I've seen people pack up after a two-year contract and regret it - leading up to the 2nd year they moan like ######.

[padma]

Can't believe I'm even responding to this post but.....

Thailand is not paradise. Not when you are living a working in BKK.

Yes I've been here on holiday several times, I love in up north and on the

islands.

I am here for work, not a english teacher FYI. I work in branding and product development and that said I work outside the city near the factories as that is where the product is being made. Coming from the west living here is challenging to say the least. Nevermind the complications that I encounter at work but the lack of decent "healthy" food. Eating the same noodles and rice dishes day after day has put a toll on my health and I have major stomach problems now. I was used to eating a healthly organic diet back home. Now I just dream about a decent salad. I am thankful that I don't live in the city as I have a few friends that are suffering from the pollution.

Forget about anything that I had back home. Yes things are cheap here but you get what you pay for.

I have thankfully meet some great thai friends only being able to see them on the weekends. The rest of the week I feel I am on some reality based TV show.

I had a sense of humour when I came now that has dried up. And my once laid back attitude is slowing disappearing as well. I didn't drink before I came here and now I need a drink ever so often to chill out.

I love thailand to vacation...but to live....all I can say is challenging.

I think opinions are all based on what you have been exposed and are accustomed to in your life. Therefore all are different.

Thailand may be paradise to some but not for others.

No need to bash someone because they don't think like you or enjoy the same things as you. It's all on how you think

[Boh Bpen Yang]

This whole discussion reminds me of an old Stars and Stripes bumper sticker that said "Love it or Leave it". I didn't like it then and I don't like it now.

Intolerance in intolerable

[Simbo]

Padma, you've got it in a nutshell. It's as simple as that.

[Flummoxed]

I am here for work, not a english teacher FYI.

Not an English teacher.....

My wife, non-BG by the way......

My business (not a bar)......

Any more to add? Anyone?

Flummoxed (BTW I'm not a teacher and my wife was a bar girl)

[padma]

Flummoxed,

wrote that so I could clarify that I didn't come here and decided to stay longer so took a job as an english teacher. I came here because I had took a job from a company that I had been using as a manufacturer while working in the US.

So it wasn't living here that appealed to me but a job that brought me here.

This makes a difference in a person's perpective. You have a Thai wife (I don't personally care whether she was or is a BG) so you are here for personal reasons. Therefore you are more integrated into Thai society and perhaps enjoy it more.

[Flummoxed]

Hey Padma,

I wasn't having a go at you... merely observing the common cliches you will often hear here, which I find amusing.

[Doctor John]

At the end of the day...............Disgruntled went home because he did not want to stay anymore. He was unhappy, now maybe he can find somewhere that suits him better.

That is the great thing about having a Farang Passport, anytime you have had enough, you can pack up and leave to somewhere that you do like.

Most Thai people are not in that privilaged position, many Farangs are.

All I know is this, if I did not like a country, then I would not stay, unless I had a well paid job to do. I know people here in Japan that moan about Japan, but some are Earning good money, ( Not English Teachers )10 - 15,000 US Dollars a month, so they put up with it cos of the financial gain involved.

But a guy struggling to survive in Thailand, who is then complaining about Thailand baffles me, why not just leave to pastures new, or you will get all bitter and cynical like so many of the old timers who just have not got the energy or heart to move on anymore.

I admire Disgruntled for leaving and attempting to make his life happier. Those that continue to stay and continue to complain should have the balls to do what Disgruntled done.

Simple as that.

[padma]

I'd take Tokyo over Bangkok in a heartbeat.

But then again I'm female, love well designed things, cleanliness, palate for great food from all over the world, fashion, music, art.

It's all perpective.

[sua yai]

IMHO there have been two comments worthy of note.

1. It's a challenge. Life is.

2. Never, ever gripe about where you are.

[padma]

your suggestion sua yai

Be complacent....shut up and put up.

be sentient doesn't allow me to.

Opinions are like <deleted> everyone's got one.

Things change and get better when people take the action

from their discomfort to make it better.

But perhaps you are the type of person that would just sit back and relax if Hilter was in power.

[Simbo]

your suggestion sua yai

Be complacent....shut up and put up.

be sentient doesn't allow me to.

Opinions are like <deleted> everyone's got one.

Things change and get better when people take the action

from their discomfort to make it better.

But perhaps you are the type of person that would just sit back and relax if Hilter was in power.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Spot on, Padma

[Doctor John]

Things change and get better when people take the action

from their discomfort to make it better.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Disgruntled took action to make his discomfort better................

He left.

[kat]

Expat life isn't for everyone - some can mix it, some can't.

I have found that most expats go through stages: For the first 6 months everything is new and exciting. Then the niggles begin to creep in and you start to miss things from back home. From year 1 to just beyond year 2 things get on top of you and you just want to pack up and go home. I think that's why many ex-pat contracts are for two years.

However, live thru the two years and you start to learn to cope with things - and to concentrate on the things that you can influence and let the things go that you can't influence.

I've seen people pack up after a two-year contract and regret it - leading up to the 2nd year they moan like ######.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, that more or less sums it up for me.

[Boo]

Me & hubs moved back to farangland in March this year & it's the best thing I've done in ages, earning tons of money & saving most of it, yeah cost of living is high but then so is my salary, love that I don't have to bribe someone to get the simplest things done, if I need a service provided I am given an appointment & they turn up, Hubby & I are treated in the same manner regardless that I'm Englsih & he's not. People are polite & efficient ( love those English manners) people don't pick their noses in public so much, I can ensure that any food eaten out of home complies with hygeine & safety laws, supermarkets have everything I & he needs (mama noodles in our local) The UK is so multicultural that we don't get pointed at or stared at for being a mixed race couple & people don't assume that becuase I have a white face then I can be taken for a ride or over priced. Yes Thailand has many good things about it but even my husband who didn't want to move overseas is seeing the benefits & pleasure of living in the UK. He's amazed that our police don't need to carry a gun & that the law is there to protect him from abuse & discrimination, it's not perfect but it works better than in LOS. Yes it's cold, but who really enjoys sweating 24hrs a day, the beaches are nice but I'm not a sun seeker, so pretty pointless, up country is relaxed but boring after a while. In 8 months in the UK we have been to Sweden, Spain, France & soon will go to another european country for the Christmas markets, these trips are so cheap they hardly make a dent in the bank account & EU visas are fairly easy to obtain, he can work, is entiltled to the NHS & in 3 more years can apply to become a British citizen, then we can go where we want. The idea was that in the future we would relocate to LOS but now we are talking about other options, as neither of us can ever see ourselves living in LOS full time again. I think it all depends on your circumstances but as both of us are young & child free we see these years as a way of saving money, getting into property & building a nest egg for our future, if your older, have earned your money & are ready to relax, then LOS is one of the best places to do it. But for me & hubs, it's gonna be a nice holiday destination & place to bring our future children to visit their family for the forseable future. Once I had got to the point of hating the country & my time there, I knew it was time to move on & did it, I miss my friends & family but not much else & getting off the plane at Heathrow made me feel like a huge weight had lifted off my shoulders

[ProfessorFart]

The UK is so multicultural that we don't get pointed at or stared at for being a mixed race couple

Maybe not in London but try a trip up country........

[Jeff1]

Dear disillusioned ,

Dont let the door hit you in the a## on your way out .

Sorry it cant be exactly like your home country .... T.I.T

What's with this kind of attitude? Just because someone isn't a native, doesn't mean they have no right to speak their piece or make critical remarks about their host country.

"If you don't like it, leave", "This is Thailand (said sarcastically)", or "Who are you to tell Thais how to run their country?" are all just sorry excuses for blind acceptance of the unacceptable.

I'm fully aware that this is not America, and I don't expect or ask Thais to behave like Americans, but that doesn't mean they can get away with blatantly unfair and unjust treatment of foreigners on their soil.

I intend to marry and settle down here (at least for the time being). I pay my taxes, I contribute to the economy and the social/cultural community around me, and I provide a valuable service to the citizens of this country (at least, they pay me as if my work was valuable). And that means I have every right to speak my mind about what I think is good or bad or right or wrong.

This "shut-up-and-put-up-with-it" crowd has questionable reasoning, and I find their attitude wholy unjustifiable.

What's wrong with foreigners and permenant residents voicing their opinions and providing input into the social, political, economic, and cultural arenas of their host nation? There's nothing "condescending" or "superior" or "racist" about that, and those people who see insults and racism in the words of others are perhaps projecting their own beliefs into the words that other people are saying.

In other words, perhaps the reason they feel negative comments about Thailand are "racist" or "superior" is because they, themselves, are racist, and can't see a constructive comment in any other kind of light.

As a tax-payer, as a resident, (in the future hopefully) as a parent, and as a (soon to be) spouse, I have every right to give my opinions about the way things should be done here. After all, I LIVE HERE TOO!!!!!!!!

The Cubans handed George Bush Florida in the last election, and while I disagree with them strongly in that regard, I think it's perfectly justifiable for people who live and work and pay taxes in a country to have a VOICE in the way that country is run.

Or maybe this "taxation without representation" is a uniquely British trait that I'll never quite grasp.

Good luck to you . Im sure that your " voice " will be heard and your every wish granted .

Would somebody please turn off that dahm twilight zone music

Oh , by the way , im not racist

[pal78]

Ireland has the highest quality of life of any country in the world! I'm in Ireland now and I can't believe it.

Obviously how people feel about where they live is subjective. I can't wait to get back to Thailand in the new year. And I'm leaving Ireland, the country with the "best quality of life."

Hey.... maybe I should write a letter to an Irish newspaper... maybe I should write a big rant about how Ireland is a rip-off country, full of racist, elitist people. Where I spent 25 minutes going 1km in traffic in a small town this morning to get to college......blah blah...

Or maybe nobody would care that I'm choosing to go and live somewhere else, because let's face it... it's not like I'm a &lt;deleted&gt; rock star or something.

Why do people feel the need to make some statement before they leave Thailand? Seems like a common thing.

[Ice Treasure]

Dear disillusioned ,

Dont let the door hit you in the a## on your way out .

Sorry it cant be exactly like your home country .... T.I.T

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dear Jeff,

Apologist nutter.

[Ice Treasure]

If you're Thai, you will no doubt be forced to stay in this sadly and rapidly

deteriorating nation. But if you're farang, you can leave. And after seven years

of this utter nonsense, I am.

Good-bye.

Disillusioned

BANGKOK

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just sounds like another Farang that came to Thailand with some money, wasted it sitting in a Bar for 7 years and now has to go home.

Seen lots like that over the Years. They blame Thailand for their own failures in life.

Goodbye.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Guess thats true DJ. Spend all your free time in a bar and thats becomes normal for you.

[kat]

Me & hubs moved back to farangland in March this year & it's the best thing I've done in ages, earning tons of money & saving most of it, yeah cost of living is high but then so is my salary, love that I don't have to bribe someone to get the simplest things done, if I need a service provided I am given an appointment & they turn up, Hubby & I are treated in the same manner regardless that I'm Englsih & he's not. People are polite & efficient ( love those English manners) people don't pick their noses in public so much, I can ensure that any food eaten out of home complies with hygeine & safety laws, supermarkets have everything I & he needs (mama noodles in our local) The UK is so multicultural that we don't get pointed at or stared at for being a mixed race couple & people don't assume that becuase I have a white face then I can be taken for a ride or over priced. Yes Thailand has many good things about it but even my husband who didn't want to move overseas is seeing the benefits & pleasure of living in the UK. He's amazed that our police don't need to carry a gun & that the law is there to protect him from abuse & discrimination, it's not perfect but it works better than in LOS. Yes it's cold, but who really enjoys sweating 24hrs a day, the beaches are nice but I'm not a sun seeker, so pretty pointless, up country is relaxed but boring after a while. In 8 months in the UK we have been to Sweden, Spain, France & soon will go to another european country for the Christmas markets, these trips are so cheap they hardly make a dent in the bank account & EU visas are fairly easy to obtain, he can work, is entiltled to the NHS & in 3 more years can apply to become a British citizen, then we can go where we want. The idea was that in the future we would relocate to LOS but now we are talking about other options, as neither of us can ever see ourselves living in LOS full time again. I think it all depends on your circumstances but as both of us are young & child free we see these years as a way of saving money, getting into property & building a nest egg for our future, if your older, have earned your money & are ready to relax, then LOS is one of the best places to do it. But for me & hubs, it's gonna be a nice holiday destination & place to bring our future children to visit their family for the forseable future.   Once I had got to the point of hating the country & my time there, I knew it was time to move on & did it, I miss my friends & family but not much else & getting off the plane at Heathrow made me feel like a huge weight had lifted off my shoulders

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, your making me homesick (for the west). Good on you. Good luck.

[Dondi]

I've noticed there has been no flamed post by the usaul members calling people "trolls" and whatever .. i see a few , but they seems alil stood back in there lash out.

i guess the truths a bitch

[Doctor John]

I've noticed there has been no flamed post by the usaul members calling people "trolls" and whatever .. i see a few , but they seems alil stood back in there lash out.

i guess the truths a bitch

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What are you talking about?

What truth ?

[Dondi]

i dont think ive ever seen a thread that is slightly against Thailand in a way, and have so many people agree

usaully the slightest put down of the country and you get a bunch of posts saying how much of a troll the person is for starting such a thread.

but this thread seems to go deeper and the users that are "kidding" themselves into thinking they are living in paradise must be just sitting back right now reading this and realising that sitting in a bar full of hookers and getting drunk everynight on a shit wage isn't as good as they thought.

the people that have replied have expressed the side of Thailand alot of expats (mostly guys) dont talk about or want to even think about.

[billd766]

i dont think ive ever seen a thread that is slightly against Thailand in a way, and have so many people agree

usaully the slightest put down of the country and you get a bunch of posts saying how much of a troll the person is for starting such a thread.

but this thread seems to go deeper and the users that are "kidding" themselves into thinking they are living in paradise must be just sitting back right now reading this and realising that sitting in a bar full of hookers and getting drunk everynight on a shit wage isn't as good as they thought.

the people that have replied have expressed the side of Thailand alot of expats (mostly guys) dont talk about or want to even think about.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dondi

A lot of expats don't actually sit in a bar full of hookers getting drunk every night on a sh*t wage.

Some of us came into the country with a fair idea of what we were coming into, met and married good Thai ladies, bar girls or not is immaterial as that is not the subject here, and have made a good life for ourselves and our Thai families.

We also have the choice to pack up and go "home" but to most of us, this is "home" and we dont want to leave.

We do understand that in some ways the odds are not always in our favour, but we just get on with our lives without bitching too much. We try to change the things that we can change and have enough sense not to try to change the things we can't.

Speaking for myself, I have been coming here for over 11 years, met a nice girl, yes she worked in a bar, divorced my English wife at very great expense, my Thai wife had some land and we bought a little more, then built a good house.

We now have a good life, a son and contentment.

A few years ago I realised that I wanted to stay with my Thai wife and as she has no intention of living in the UK with all its benefits, I decided that I was happy here, and visas permitting this is where I will die.

The house and car etc are all in my wifes name and I really don't care that much that I cannot own the house and land anyway.

Sign me as fat, happy and content in the LOS

[Darknight]

Me & hubs moved back to farangland in March this year & it's the best thing I've done in ages, earning tons of money & saving most of it, yeah cost of living is high but then so is my salary, love that I don't have to bribe someone to get the simplest things done, if I need a service provided I am given an appointment & they turn up, Hubby & I are treated in the same manner regardless that I'm Englsih & he's not. People are polite & efficient ( love those English manners) people don't pick their noses in public so much, I can ensure that any food eaten out of home complies with hygeine & safety laws, supermarkets have everything I & he needs (mama noodles in our local) The UK is so multicultural that we don't get pointed at or stared at for being a mixed race couple & people don't assume that becuase I have a white face then I can be taken for a ride or over priced. Yes Thailand has many good things about it but even my husband who didn't want to move overseas is seeing the benefits & pleasure of living in the UK. He's amazed that our police don't need to carry a gun & that the law is there to protect him from abuse & discrimination, it's not perfect but it works better than in LOS. Yes it's cold, but who really enjoys sweating 24hrs a day, the beaches are nice but I'm not a sun seeker, so pretty pointless, up country is relaxed but boring after a while. In 8 months in the UK we have been to Sweden, Spain, France & soon will go to another european country for the Christmas markets, these trips are so cheap they hardly make a dent in the bank account & EU visas are fairly easy to obtain, he can work, is entiltled to the NHS & in 3 more years can apply to become a British citizen, then we can go where we want. The idea was that in the future we would relocate to LOS but now we are talking about other options, as neither of us can ever see ourselves living in LOS full time again. I think it all depends on your circumstances but as both of us are young & child free we see these years as a way of saving money, getting into property & building a nest egg for our future, if your older, have earned your money & are ready to relax, then LOS is one of the best places to do it. But for me & hubs, it's gonna be a nice holiday destination & place to bring our future children to visit their family for the forseable future.   Once I had got to the point of hating the country & my time there, I knew it was time to move on & did it, I miss my friends & family but not much else & getting off the plane at Heathrow made me feel like a huge weight had lifted off my shoulders

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same here Boo, moved back in april this year and haven't regretted it yet. At least you can get things done here. Things cost a lot more but at least you can make money here

Quick internet, good service everywhere, my wify still coocks good thai food, only the weather is a litlle bit less, but i also enjoyed a cold day last week a lot.

Same same, but different. Linving half half would be ideal i guess

[Boo]

Darknight, I think ideally we would like to spend a couple of months a year in LOS with work & real life elsewhere in Europe, as I said, depending on your personal circumstances LOS can either be heaven or ###### & for the 6months before we moved to the UK it was getting more & more like ###### but I'm sure that when we go back for a holiday next year it will be the heaven I fell in love with 7 years ago & I can start enjoying it again.

[Darknight]

probably same here boo . hoping to get back somewhere in may

[Doctor John]

I will agree with Boo and Darknight, it is all down to personal circumstance, if you are running short of money in Thailand, it is certainly no place to be.