I get asked so often by friends back home about living in Thailand. Asking me the major pros and cons.

My Pros:

1) Very inexpensive basic but comfortable living conditions (housing, food, basic medical/dental)

2) Sun virtually day. Even in the rainy season the sun usually breaks through a few times a day (where I've stayed)

3) The absence of daily stress as it is in the west (road rage, up-tightness, open display of anger) [ignoring current protests]

Cons:

1) Language barrier related difficulties

2) Relentless heat and humidity

3) Seems everything is old, dusty, dirty everywhere.

What are your TOP THREE pros and cons? (Please leave out the women part, everybody knows that.)

PROS:

The (mostly) friendly Thai people.

The range, availability, quality and cost of fruit and vegetables,

The comfortable and easy paced lifestyle at a relatively low cost.

CONS:

Traffic

Noise

Being seen by all non-farangs as "rich".

PROS:

The (mostly) friendly Thai people.

The range, availability, quality and cost of fruit and vegetables,

The comfortable and easy paced lifestyle at a relatively low cost.

CONS:

Traffic

Noise

Being seen by all non-farangs as "rich".

But you are rich Midas.

Pros : - Very good standard of living easy to maintain with lets say 1400 euro/month. (that's for my life, some might need more, some less).

- Climate, even though a bit of rain would be very welcome now.

- The locals, some good some bad as everywhere but most are ok.

Cons : - Corruption in all levels of society.

- Poor customer and after sale service.

- The law that doesn't seem to be the same for everybody.

PROS:

- Friendly people / culture

- High standard of living (value for money)

- Love all aspects of Thailand: music, food, religion, etc.. it just fits for me.

CONS:

- Lack of any sort of safety standards

- Corruption, bureaucracy / not a fully democratic country which doesn't affect single guys but does affect my children.

- Ugly women

(Ok, I needed three. )

PROS:

The (mostly) friendly Thai people.

The range, availability, quality and cost of fruit and vegetables,

The comfortable and easy paced lifestyle at a relatively low cost.

CONS:

Traffic

Noise

Being seen by all non-farangs as "rich".

But you are rich Midas.

James, I probably earn less in a year than you do in a month!

PROS:

The (mostly) friendly Thai people.

The range, availability, quality and cost of fruit and vegetables,

The comfortable and easy paced lifestyle at a relatively low cost.

CONS:

Traffic

Noise

Being seen by all non-farangs as "rich".

But you are rich Midas.

James, I probably earn less in a year than you do in a month!

For you sake I hope not. I am so poor I have to use my work computer to go on TV.

Pros

Corruption

The weather

Thai people

Cons

Corruption

The weather

Thai people

Pros:

Thai People = friendly, courteous, not outspoken

Low cost

less competitive

Cons:

Hot humid weather

Traffic

little choices in quality products

Pro’s are pretty good.

Cons:

1. Red shirt

2. Red shirt

3. Red Shirt

Pros:

Rent is cheap

Money goes further

Beaches are never that far away

Cons:

Lack of western-sausages/fry-ups

Western clothes are too expensive

Can't walk around/less things to walk to/miss wandering about like back home

Gary9999 - spot on!

Pros

The weather, from the almost everyday sunshine, to watching the lightning at night, over the mountains behind our house, in the rainy season.

The beautiful smiles from pretty girls, when we're out shopping. I'm happily married, and too old to be interested in them in any other way but being friendly, but it really makes my day.

Being able to sit in the garden for nearly all of our meals, watching the various lizards, chameleons, butterflies, and birds. Far more uplifting than being huddled over a fire and watching garbage TV.

Cons

No long warm summer nights, that last until almost 11pm.

A lack of easily available, decent reading material - though I'm currently investigating those computer book thingumejigs, so that may improve.

No English speaking friends who live locally. I've a hearing problem, and find learning Thai impossible. My wife does her best, bless her, but sometimes it would be nice to spend an afternoon or evening, conversing with

others, in my native tongue.

PROS:

The (mostly) friendly Thai people.

The range, availability, quality and cost of fruit and vegetables,

The comfortable and easy paced lifestyle at a relatively low cost.

CONS:

Traffic

Noise

Being seen by all non-farangs as "rich".

But you are rich Midas.

James, I probably earn less in a year than you do in a month!

midas, i heard james works for peanuts.....so what exactly do you get?

neverdies pros:

1. Limitless amusing occurrences around me daily causing me to laugh.

2. Carefree lifestyle.

3. Food.

cons:

1. Eat too much.

2. Careless people.

3. Too much amusement.

ps: good to see you on deck OP.

Hi neverdie. Yeah you sure are right about the food, I am up about 15 kgs in the past couple of years and worry if I will ever stop getting fatter! Now I can even eat the spicy dishes, like curry soups <aloy mak mah!>.

Surprised I haven't read more cons about the language barrier. Drives me more and more nuts not knowing what everybody is saying, including my gf. I know neverdie speaks Thai fairly well, but how do you others cope sitting there like a deaf-mute so often? But I can hear them saying "baht" and "gin khao" all the time!

Personally, I took the option to just avoid having any involvement.

Friends who have been here for FAR longer than me tell me its a bad move as I won't understand when they're insulting me etc. etc.

I'd rather not know..... I don't own a house, just rent - so any major problems are not mine.

Its great - I find I can happily get by speaking little Thai and just smiling and coming across as friendly. It took me a couple of years to make this decision, but I've never regretted it.

Pros:

1. Cheap bilingual gardeners

2. Cheap german cars

3. Cheap high quality education

Cons:

1. The number of highly educated farangs in BKK creates to much competition in my line of work

2. I get constantly reminded that I am the only one not married to a top class woman with academic abilities beyond belief, anthropology included.

3. I have to sit around and wait for the day when extra terrestrial warriors inform me that their house cat is equipped with a golden arse that manufactures danish buttercookies

Pros:

-Cheap rice.

-Big prawns.

-Cheap socks.

Cons:

-Expensive Pledge.

-Putrid street smells.

-Not much opportunity to wear socks.

Pro's

Less expensive to maintain a good standard of living.

Less nanny state legislation, common sense is your own responsibility.

no ice and snow

Con's

-Hard to find stimulating conversations, intelligent entertainment

-Traffic is very dangerous, non existent enforcement for basic moving violations.

-Impossible to get direct answers or find information (inconsistent handling of procedures, ie immigration)

-Visa hassles, difficult to stay here, difficulty (risky) to invest here, can't own land...

-My inability to count to 3

PS: too hot, too much corruption, robotic citizens is another list of three if someone else needs ideas

Right Canuck... inability to own land is a biggie. Kinda makes everything we own here seem transitory, impermanent, to me anyway. Not that land ownership is permanent anywhere*, but at least it can be titled in our name. Not owning the land I live on prevents me from feeling more attached to Thailand.

* My family came from St. Vincent in the West Indies. A number of years ago the government there decided land should be owned by Vincentians only. I know people who had estates repatriated from under them.

Pros:

1. Can save significantly more money than in my home country

2. Easy/low-stress lifestyle

3. Great travel opportunities

Cons:

1. Weather

2. Language barrier/difficulties

3. Being so far away from family and friends

pro:

1) a standard of living I can afford

2) no real winter (like with snow)

3) culturally acceptable to pick your nose in public

con:

1) rogue police, I dread being in a situation that involves having to deal with them

2) cut-throat way of doing things -- once you paid for it, you're on your own

3) a farang is like a cartoon character that's been brought to life (as opposed to being a human being), so anything goes in the way you're treated

pros:

1. no income tax

2. no income tax

3. no income tax

cons:

1. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

2. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

3. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

pros:

1. no income tax

2. no income tax

3. no income tax

cons:

1. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

2. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

3. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

PROS:

1) the pros........the real ones

2) good health care if you need it (in Bangkok, mainly)

3) relatively inexpensive (but getting more expensive each day)

CONS:

1) too many farangs who are stuck here (and actually dislike it here but say they don't as a psychological defense mechanism) complaining about farangs that might have something negative to say about Thailand

2) extreme heat and getting hotter each year

3) completely insane visa/business rules (coupled with rising xenophobia)

I'm with you Naam.

Thats the best Ive read

pros:

1. no income tax

2. no income tax

3. no income tax

cons:

1. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

2. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

3. too many whining farangs who should return to their home country if they don't like it here

You forgot to tell us your cat is equipped with a golden arse that manufactures danish buttercookies.

What about it's linguistic abilities? Speak any gibberish?

Pros

The weather, from the almost everyday sunshine, to watching the lightning at night, over the mountains behind our house, in the rainy season.

The beautiful smiles from pretty girls, when we're out shopping. I'm happily married, and too old to be interested in them in any other way but being friendly, but it really makes my day.

Being able to sit in the garden for nearly all of our meals, watching the various lizards, chameleons, butterflies, and birds. Far more uplifting than being huddled over a fire and watching garbage TV.

Cons

No long warm summer nights, that last until almost 11pm.

A lack of easily available, decent reading material - though I'm currently investigating those computer book thingumejigs, so that may improve.

No English speaking friends who live locally. I've a hearing problem, and find learning Thai impossible. My wife does her best, bless her, but sometimes it would be nice to spend an afternoon or evening, conversing with

others, in my native tongue.

WeeGB..... Are you sure you are in Thailand... sure not the same Thailand as me...!

Cheap german cars

I'd hate to be where you're from if you consider German cars in Thailand cheap

Cheap german cars

I'd hate to be where you're from if you consider German cars in Thailand cheap

whatever you do, dont ellaborate on that thought, you'll get all sorts of shit if you do. Just employ a bilingual gardener and the price will get down to normal, trust me. It's hard fact.