Are You Happy Enough To Spend The Rest Of Your Life In Thailand?

[garro]

I am sorry if this is a gloomy subject, but I find it interesting.

Are you quite happy to live out the rest of your days in Thailand?

Would this decision change if you became really sick or infirm?

I am happy in Thailand and a firm believer that life will take me where I need to be. I have lived in Thailand over six years and would say I am used to living here, but it never feels really like home. Still, I'm not complaining about this. I am happy and think that it is a good place to bring up my son. I am in my late thirties so hopefully have a few years of health left. If I became really sick I am not sure what I would do, but would probably just stay in Thailand.

What about you guys?

[rainman]

My plan has always been moving to Spain in a few years. That won't change.

[samuibeachcomber]

are n't you a bit young to start worrying about these sorts of things?

[garro]

are n't you a bit young to start worrying about these sorts of things?

I wouldn't say that I'm worried about this; just interested.

[samuibeachcomber]

to answer your question,i'd be happy to see out my days here,sure health is an issue and i guess if i got sick i'd rather go home for treatment,but if i was incapacitated,well i'd be in the lap of the gods and my bank balance.do not worry about tomorrow for today has its own worries.

[neverdie]

I'm roughly your age and I have also thought about that issue too. My father lived in Thailand for many years, more than 25 but less than 30, I cant remember exactly. Anyway, he passed away in a Bangkok hospital a few years ago, he battled lung cancer for many years and it finally sent him on his way. At the time I was living in Australia and I asked him if he wanted to come back to Australia to which he promply replied, "For what, so I can pay little johnnie some death tax when I croak, no thanks". (At the time John Howard was Prime Minister in Australia, hes commonly called little johnny...amoungst other things).

Anyway, my father wasnt living in BKK at the time of passing away and most of his BKK friends had moved on, so other than his thai family (wifes side) he was alone, I was too busy being important in my job (or so i thought), anyway, I couldnt really understand it at the time. Now with a bit of hindsight I understand it exactly.....when youre old or sick you probably just want to be with the people that love you the most, so if their in Brazil you will probably go there, if there here, you will stay.

The thing that worries me the most is if you got hit by a bus or something here & had horrific injuries or you were a complete head case or something.....im not sure what level of care you would get by remaining here and who would make the decisions.....I would hate to get propped up on the edge of a bridge somewhere dribbling with a cup in my hand (as opposed to doing it on a bar stool with a gut full of old Mr Singha, i guess).

Anyway, I'm here now and I'm hoping I get 30 good years of the good stuff like he did and if im lucky i will die suddenly and quickly when I go and hopefully return as anything other than a thai politician

[bendix]

Im happy to live here (despite my patience wearing thin over the events of the last week) and I will likely die in Thailand, but I plan to head back to farangland for 3-4 years as a final spurt to building my nest egg, before returning.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Garro.....Having had friends and relatives in the nursing homes in the US I for one would rather spend the money to have 2 or 3 full time private nurses here to look after me. That is assuming I was incapacitated. If I'm just getting old then my wife and our housekeeper can provide whatever assistance that I might need.

Going to live with a bunch of people I don't know has no appeal at all. So unless they run us out we will spend our last days in Thailand. My wife also farang is a fair bit younger than me and in great health so I expect she will outlive me by 20 or 30 years. She said she will most likely spend her final days in Thailand also.

Should I become a vegtable and just lay in bed I prefer to be sent to the happy hunting grounds and not spend years laying unconcious. But then I am still in fairly good shape and still not really old, only 75 next month. Plan on another 20 years or so and when I die I plan to just wake up dead some day no long illness.

[jdinasia]

Hmmmm living here is what I want to do (and have done for years now), medical issues? not an issue as private hospitals here are certainly more pleasant than hospitals "back home".

I don't know that I'll be here for the "Rest of my life" though, as I still enjoy being in new places and learning new things!

[neverdie]

Crikey....75, you want to live another 20, good on you, amazing. My bones ache already and im nearly half ur age.

Good on you if you can do it, my wifes grandfather is in his late 80ies and still rows his little boat up the klong each day to farm his water vegtables.

I cant imagine trying to keep up with the pace of things in another 30 or 35 years.....if the planets still spinning around then

[adjan jb]

Reading the title, I thought it was another topic about the airports being closed.

I'm happy enough. I know a lot of places where I wouldn't be happier. My home country for one.

It becomes more difficult to move once you have a Thai family.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Crikey....75, you want to live another 20, good on you, amazing. My bones ache already and im nearly half ur age.

Good on you if you can do it, my wifes grandfather is in his late 80ies and still rows his little boat up the klong each day to farm his water vegtables.

I cant imagine trying to keep up with the pace of things in another 30 or 35 years.....if the planets still spinning around then

Neverdie.........That is a great namefor this thread. My mother lived until 96 and was in good shape and took careof herself up to the last couple of days of her life. Don't know when you start to feel old but I don't yet, although my memory as not as good as it once was and I can't leap tall buildings in a single bound. Have been retired for 25 years now and have enjoyed every day of it. Lifes good I have a fantastic wife, married 34 years and every day with her is fun.

Remember all the good things that happen to you and forget any bad.

Good luck to you neverdie and enjoy every day.

[patklang]

I planned for a much larger private medical plan when i am 65+ so i shouldnt have any worried if i am sick.As far as being a cabbage i thought all thais killed you for your money so no problems there too.

My life is perfect here and over the last 5 years as an ex pat my only worry is not living another 30+ years as i will miss my gf and family so much.

[Gary A]

I certainly have no desire to die in a US nursing home. I'll take my chances right here and hope it is quick when my time comes. I'm sure my wife will take good care of me if I am unlucky enough to die slowly.

[agord]

I'm too easily annoyed to spend the rest of my life here I think. For the most part it's good and maybe I just need to get out of Phuket? Was happier in BKK and CM. It's also too dam_n hot for my Canuck blood and the way people drive here really makes me want to pack up. I miss fresh salmon and hockey night among other things the west has to offer.

[siamshot]

Love living here, know already have to work up to the end - who cares?

But happy!

[Jingthing]

I used to think it was rational to make plans 'for the rest of my life" but now I don't look further out than a year at a time. You never really know.

[desi]

Are you quite happy to live out the rest of your days in Thailand?

Absolutely.

Would this decision change if you became really sick or infirm?

No. I have money put aside and the Thai hospitals are quite adequate.

What about you guys?

How about us 'gals'?

[wasabi]

Heatlh care is the number one reason I do not want to live full time in Thailand and am glad to not have burned bridges. Take this with a grain of salt because I know I am a bit of a hypochondriac but given that that is my nature I need to have full confidence in the health care system and competence of my doctor. I think the medical care here is good but I want the very best. Personally I have received the best care in the USA. I just get the sense the doctors are more versed in medicine and what tools should be used when one is ill in the USA, I realize the cost of health care there is completely outrageous but if you have decent employer based health care it's not an issue. I love and hate Thailand and am sure I will spend at least sometime here the rest of my life. However I would never come here unless I have plenty of cash to get out if needed. Ideally back to the USA but if it's more critical over to Singapore.

I am also bothered by the sanitation and quality of the air here but in the future I would live in Hua Hin or Phuket, unfortunately for now Bangkok is the only logical choice given my visa needs.

[Macx]

Everything changes with time, the right way, the wrong way, the good way, the bad way. In the end, all paths take you to the same place.

The rest of my life could be three hours, three months, or three decades.

So, for me, the question is: Am I happy here, now?

If not, it's time to go.

But so far so good

[garro]

Heatlh care is the number one reason I do not want to live full time in Thailand and am glad to not have burned bridges. Take this with a grain of salt because I know I am a bit of a hypochondriac but given that that is my nature I need to have full confidence in the health care system and competence of my doctor. I think the medical care here is good but I want the very best. Personally I have received the best care in the USA. I just get the sense the doctors are more versed in medicine and what tools should be used when one is ill in the USA, I realize the cost of health care there is completely outrageous but if you have decent employer based health care it's not an issue. I love and hate Thailand and am sure I will spend at least sometime here the rest of my life. However I would never come here unless I have plenty of cash to get out if needed. Ideally back to the USA but if it's more critical over to Singapore.

I am also bothered by the sanitation and quality of the air here but in the future I would live in Hua Hin or Phuket, unfortunately for now Bangkok is the only logical choice given my visa needs.

Personally after having worked as a RN in the UK and Ireland I think that if I get very sick I would rather go stay in a cave than a hospital

[desi]

Heatlh care is the number one reason I do not want to live full time in Thailand and am glad to not have burned bridges. Take this with a grain of salt because I know I am a bit of a hypochondriac but given that that is my nature I need to have full confidence in the health care system and competence of my doctor.

I'm glad you received great health care in the US, but mine was total cacca. I went through so many blood tests, they hooked me up to an iv. Then on to the UK (1 year) with the same problem, same dismal treatment. France (two years), ditto. I then moved to a 'developing country' and they fixed the problem on the very first visit. Said it was 'typical treatment' for what I had. So, years out of my life spent in hospitals getting tests run. I know, this is just one case, but it's my case, so it does skew my opinion.

[Ulysses G.]

I would much prefer to live out my days in Thailand and I have met almost no old guys who were not better off here than at home. You can pay someone to help you if you need it, but I have seen very few guys need to resort to that.

Flirting and being paid attention to by females and touched by other human beings both non-sexually and sexually in old age seems to keep them healthy enough to take care of themselves until they pass away.

That is why most of us want to stay here if we admit it to ourselves.

[Lopburi99]

.....when youre old or sick you probably just want to be with the people that love you the most,

That is exactly how I feel. At the present time this would be my daughter and my ex-wife of 22 years (with whom I remain the closest of friends). Both are in the States. Otherwise I would rather remain in Thailand where I believe the care would be far more compassionate.

I will be 62 next month and have had many health problems and surgeries over the years. My father died at 68 but my mother died at 94. Lord knows I don't want to see 94 because I know my health would be iffy at best, but I hope to be relatively healthy a bit longer than Dad.

[gerrythepoet]

I think the question is very interesting for we take things for granted till something called life gets dragged away from us even at times it can be a slow process.

Myself, my life is Thailand for my wife is Thai and in all honesty being with her is all that matters and when you are ill you want the one that is with you to be healthy and comfortable in their surroundings, the joy of life would be here not back in the UK and another country is not mine or hers.

[dingdongrb]

I'm too easily annoyed to spend the rest of my life here I think. For the most part it's good and maybe I just need to get out of Phuket? Was happier in BKK and CM. It's also too dam_n hot for my Canuck blood and the way people drive here really makes me want to pack up. I miss fresh salmon and hockey night among other things the west has to offer.

Perhaps you miss the Canadian Police chases.....

CanadianPoliceChase_1.wmv

[neverdie]

Crikey....75, you want to live another 20, good on you, amazing. My bones ache already and im nearly half ur age.

Good on you if you can do it, my wifes grandfather is in his late 80ies and still rows his little boat up the klong each day to farm his water vegtables.

I cant imagine trying to keep up with the pace of things in another 30 or 35 years.....if the planets still spinning around then

Neverdie.........That is a great namefor this thread. My mother lived until 96 and was in good shape and took careof herself up to the last couple of days of her life. Don't know when you start to feel old but I don't yet, although my memory as not as good as it once was and I can't leap tall buildings in a single bound. Have been retired for 25 years now and have enjoyed every day of it. Lifes good I have a fantastic wife, married 34 years and every day with her is fun.

Remember all the good things that happen to you and forget any bad.

Good luck to you neverdie and enjoy every day.

THANKYOU VERY MUCH BEENTHEREDONETHAT, good on you for being you.... I didnt know people married for that long without changing, lol. I wish you all the best

[neverdie]

.....when youre old or sick you probably just want to be with the people that love you the most,

That is exactly how I feel. At the present time this would be my daughter and my ex-wife of 22 years (with whom I remain the closest of friends). Both are in the States. Otherwise I would rather remain in Thailand where I believe the care would be far more compassionate.

I will be 62 next month and have had many health problems and surgeries over the years. My father died at 68 but my mother died at 94. Lord knows I don't want to see 94 because I know my health would be iffy at best, but I hope to be relatively healthy a bit longer than Dad.

Ive already told you before LOP99, ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG.....you'll be around for many years to come & yes you will be a right pain in the backside

[patklang]

I have noticed,in general that that the old guys who are very fit for their age dont smoke and drink nid noi,and they walk many ks every day.would they be the same in uk,as the weather is realy bad on the joints.i feel very young here with the nice weather and the quality of life.

[dogleg]

"Hope I die before I get Old" as we all sang 40 years ago

Enjoy my work and life here in Thailand long may it continue....