How Weird Does It Feel?

[tigerfish]

so i guess somewhere a long the line, like before i am probably going to have to make a trip back to my country of birth. maybe out of choice or maybe for family reasons, i dont know! but the longer i stay/live in the LOS the stranger and more weird it feels every time i go back. from an early age i always had the urge to travel, go out see the world for myself and never really felt that comfortable in my homeland . some would say i come from one of the best and most cosmopolitan cities in the world, that has so much to offer and i dare say that if i had decided to make a life for myself back home i could have had it good. as so many of my friends have reminded me. too me though i just dont see it and it becomes even more apparent to me every time i go back. i guess i have a different outlook on life and some things are more important to me than say just "material things".

there are other factors that make things seem all that bit more weird than what i have come accustomed too as the plane hits the tarmac. first and foremost is the weather, then theres other things that i start to notice that make me feel uncomfortable and make me want to get straight back on the plane to thailand. the miserable pale almost plague like non smiling faces, the pace and constant checking of the time, worrying about being late, hearing the "F" word almost every minute of the day, whilst people talk. friends complaining about their work place/boss over a pint down the local and telling me how lucky i am too have got out when i did. money! money! money! yes i know its important and without it how would we get on in life, but like i said before i aint that into material things. where as back home its always about keeping up with the jones. new house! new beemer! new flat screen t.v. got to go to the cayman islands this year because the smiths are going to the bahamas, must go to john lewis and ikea at the weekend.

i could go on, but i think you get the picture. i love my country and am very proud of where i come from, but to me the land i once knew now just seems a distant memory. it gets to the point now where i cant wait to to hit terminal 3 and get back on that big bird in the sky.

know what i mean!

[Soutpeel]

I actually enjoy going "home" from time to time, stay for 5-6 weeks at a time and Mrs Soutpeel enjoys it as well, in fact she wants to move there once I have finished work in Thailand.

Could I live there have to do a 9 to 5 again ?....no way....."retire" there.......you bet

Both replies to date appear to have been about "good old" Blighty.....could I live there again ?....no f*kcing way.....its a miserable dump.

[Richb2004v2]

I dream of a return to 'dear old blighty'. Well, minus the weather maybe. Then again I find the weather here equally uncivilized, but in the other direction.

[inthepink]

I actually enjoy going "home" from time to time, stay for 5-6 weeks at a time and Mrs Soutpeel enjoys it as well, in fact she wants to move there once I have finished work in Thailand.

Could I live there have to do a 9 to 5 again ?....no way....."retire" there.......you bet

Both replies to date appear to have been about "good old" Blighty.....could I live there again ?....no f*kcing way.....its a miserable dump.

Plenty of nice places to live in the UK. I wouldn't call it a dump.

[Tonto21]

Very poignant topic for me, I agree with the OP on this. I’m going back to the UK this Thursday, and I’m nervous about it, why, I really don’t know. I’ve not been back for near 5 years. In the early days of being in Thailand I would not have given it a second thought to go back, (holiday only) but now, I sometimes lay in bed at night before going to sleep, and have them stupid irrational thought flowing into my head, (am I going mad?) I don’t owe anybody in the UK, I left with a clean slate. Maybe I subconsciously afraid I will like being back, like the ease of communication, access to foods I like………………and so on! But somehow I think the reasons I left in the first place will show up fast on the heels of a short honeymoon period. We will see!

[tigerfish]

I actually enjoy going "home" from time to time, stay for 5-6 weeks at a time and Mrs Soutpeel enjoys it as well, in fact she wants to move there once I have finished work in Thailand.

Could I live there have to do a 9 to 5 again ?....no way....."retire" there.......you bet

Both replies to date appear to have been about "good old" Blighty.....could I live there again ?....no f*kcing way.....its a miserable dump.

Plenty of nice places to live in the UK. I wouldn't call it a dump.

no but i would say that some of the people that are being allowed to live in it and take advantage of the system are making less of a desirable place to live in.

that and all the pc goodie too shoes.

hence why i now live in out here.

[sanook2me]

I'll let you know next Monday

Well if you fly into Heathrow its horrible...don't need to list the differences its just everywhere and in the air...

I'm sure for Thais first time landing at Heathrow they do a double take and check the signs to make sure its London and not Mumbai they've arrived at....

Its been done to death but UK...no 7-11's how wrong is that!!! only stinking corner shops...

It tickles me how i stop and faulter at every doorstep in the UK and go to take my shoes off as everyone else just marches in.

The first farang king size solid stool and then no bum gun only tissue or (hands) ....

the list is endless....I hate the local pubs...just rotten and full of rotten people..

No little glam bars with live funky music (very rare but are findable and have to travel in the UK)

blah blah...there are sheep..always cute if no pretty poo yings to find

[samuibeachcomber]

sounds like me tigerfish.Always felt like a fish out of water in the UK,even though born there.Spent more years in australia than england and liked its lay back attitude,weather and open spaces.

Then QZ became too over regulated and too PC but not as bad as the UK.Going back to the UK to visit family is always nice but oh the cities,not many white faces left,and felt a real stranger in the country of my birth.However village life still good.

In both cases i could n't wait to get back to thailand.

Its a lot easier here to wipe out the daily media bashing about unemployment,global financial crisis,global warming etc cos most of us dont read thai or understand it spoken that well so we dont get caught up in the media hype,whereas back home everyone's constantly bombarded with it and that translate into everyday conversation.There's a lot of truth in 'ignorance is bliss.'The other thing, here in thailand its much easier to adopt a simple life style and enjoy it cos most everyone else is doing the same.Try doing that in the UK(IF ITS POSSIBLE)and people would think you're crazy.

[Beardog]

I love going back & seeing family & friend.Also I get to turn wrenches & customize hot rods & build High power trikes. Here I never get to break out the welders & design a frame & throw a 560 hp engine or a 900+ stock car & race it.If I get back to Hawaii I can go out on several game boats I have worked on & fished on as well.Not to much happening in fishing world to talk about.A huge fish here is an embarrassment in the states!

That's not to mention the Hot looking women(unfortunately now in the 30 years & younger bracket- do to high level of obesity)Bira circuit is about as good as Petaluma's race track in California & that isn't saying much.And The beer is pretty tasty & Wine is even better.

[dumball]

I have no real problems either going or coming , as my surroundings in Canada have remained fairly constant , within a short space of time I am comfortably back into an easy going routine , working in the shop , mowing the 3 acres , shopping where many always remember me , friends dropping by to shoot the breeze , etc , etc .

Returning to Cambodia (used to be Thailand) , all I have to get accustomed to is the heat and high humidity , little else changes , life goes on .

[Chunky1]

u probably just cant get girls in the first world so Thailand seems like paradise.

[tigerfish]

u probably just cant get girls in the first world so Thailand seems like paradise.

care to elaborate on who your above comment is aimed at chunky1.

pretty stupid remark to make without knowing any of the above posters personally. dont yah think!

[Chunky1]

sure, many go on and about how great thailand is because thailand tends to meet a need which is important to most men.

[Jingthing]

I've only been back once so far (the USA) and it was indeed a weird feeling. While I was accepted based on my accent as an American, I felt like an outsider there and kind of an imposter, like the fate of the people living there was not the same as my fate. I don't think the intake person said Welcome Home that time as I was clearly an expat; I think it would be weird for them to say Welcome Home when it really isn't your home anymore.

[Richb2004v2]

sure, many go on and about how great thailand is because thailand tends to meet a need which is important to most men.

You certainly know how to upset folk Chunky. I do think that once again there is a degree of truth in your incerduary (dam_n no spell check) remark though. I recentley read a comment on a different site from a man saying how Thailand was paradise and he was almost crying when he left. I immediately assumed he was refering to the female companionship. Take it away and whats left to get so excited about? But, once again we need to assert that not everyone falls into this category.

[Ulysses G.]

u probably just cant get girls in the first world so Thailand seems like paradise.

care to elaborate on who your above comment is aimed at chunky1.

pretty stupid remark to make without knowing any of the above posters personally. dont yah think!

He probably has a lot of personal experience to back up his observation.

[Chunky1]

well it is easier for all us here that is for sure. i am a younger than most here so for me it would not be very hard but if u r 50 yo going home w/o a thai wife coming back with you, i guess you should take up golf or pottery or tv sitcoms because unless u r VERY rich, the closest u r coming to a 20 yo is checking out at ur local grocery.

[tigerfish]

well it is easier for all us here that is for sure. i am a younger than most here so for me it would not be very hard but if u r 50 yo going home w/o a thai wife coming back with you, i guess you should take up golf or pottery or tv sitcoms because unless u r VERY rich, the closest u r coming to a 20 yo is checking out at ur local grocery.

my wife happens to be 8 years my senior!

met her 10 years ago on my first trip out here and been together ever since.

so that chucks your theory out the window, doesnt it!

[MSingh]

You would get a better response on teh Arsenal Forums that you use Tiger Fish i'd guess..

[Chunky1]

well it is easier for all us here that is for sure. i am a younger than most here so for me it would not be very hard but if u r 50 yo going home w/o a thai wife coming back with you, i guess you should take up golf or pottery or tv sitcoms because unless u r VERY rich, the closest u r coming to a 20 yo is checking out at ur local grocery.

I think that as you are a ' youngster ', that as YOU get older the world and what is important to you now will be totally different and you won't know that ( to comment ) until you clock up some years and get there. For sure most of us oldies ( l think ) don't want the hassle of a 20 year old cos we've been there before.

PS. My previous English wife was 20 years younger than me.

she must have got a tidy divorce settlement.

[smokie36]

I've lived in so many places in the UK over the years I've lost count....I've noticed the steady decline in services and quality of life. The best places to live imo are any of the islands....lake district north devon or from inverness north.....forget the rest for quality of life at all....grey faces miserable people....another mate made redundant yesterday....more joy and happiness. Stay where you are and don't go anywhere near the UK unless you are superrich or of non UK origin then its a party all the way....

[IanForbes]

It happens to me twice each year... once when I return back to Canada in April and once when I go back to Thailand in November. I get a tingly feeling of excitement looking forward to seeing my friends and family I live two parallel lives and neither is similar..

[trompelemonde]

Sorry to jolt you, but I love going back to the UK each year. I hated the place when I left to work in Hong Kong many years ago, but my perspective has changed to that of a tourist/visitor. Apart from friends and family I love the culture, climate, sport and the country side etc.

The bit from the OP about people being more materialistic in the UK, well that's a load of <deleted> in my opinion. If you've spent more than a few minutes in the company of aspirant Bangkokians, and there are plenty of these creatures about, then you will quickly realize that they are just as bad if not worse in this regard.

Would I live and work in the UK again - yes for sure (and I've been expat for almost 20 years) but my family here don't share my enthusiasm so it won't happen.

All the above stated sincerely and without once biting my tongue

[trompelemonde]

Sorry to jolt you, but I love going back to the UK each year. I hated the place when I left to work in Hong Kong many years ago, but my perspective has changed to that of a tourist/visitor. Apart from friends and family I love the culture, climate, sport and the country side etc.

The bit from the OP about people being more materialistic in the UK, well that's a load of <deleted> in my opinion. If you've spent more than a few minutes in the company of aspirant Bangkokians, and there are plenty of these creatures about, then you will quickly realize that they are just as bad if not worse in this regard.

Would I live and work in the UK again - yes for sure (and I've been expat for almost 20 years) but my family here don't share my enthusiasm so it won't happen.

All the above stated sincerely and without once biting my tongue

Going back for hols is a totally different thing to living a daily life in the UK. My Thai wife hated it in the UK for a holiday in London. Where's the English, she said, nobody happy, Everything expensive. When she saw what l paid for petrol, well, thought a heart attack was imminent.

Well that's what the OP is on about isn't - going back for a visit rather than living there?

I am trying to be straight not flip' with what you say, sure there are negatives in the UK, lots of them same as everywhere but the price of petrol comes way down the list of gripes as far as I am concerned.

And also sod the so called 'English', I assume you mean white English here. It was them folks and the little ingerland mentality they harbour that made me want to leave in the first place. Sod them all.

[Richb2004v2]

I've lived in so many places in the UK over the years I've lost count....I've noticed the steady decline in services and quality of life. The best places to live imo are any of the islands....lake district north devon or from inverness north.....forget the rest for quality of life at all....grey faces miserable people....another mate made redundant yesterday....more joy and happiness. Stay where you are and don't go anywhere near the UK unless you are superrich or of non UK origin then its a party all the way....

I guess your mates family will go hungry now will they? He better go begging or get a job sweeping the streets to survive. You might want to advise him to come and live in Thailand quickly. If he's unemployed here he'll have an easy time of it. The unemployed Thais here get great support from their government as well as family allowance and great free health care etc. The Uk is well screwed. Life in Thailand is much easier.

[cardholder]

Going back for hols is a totally different thing to living a daily life in the UK. My Thai wife hated it in the UK for a holiday in London. Where's the English, she said, nobody happy, Everything expensive. When she saw what l paid for petrol, well, thought a heart attack was imminent.

And I bet you had to serve yourself

[SAW]

After a day spent in Hull renewing a visa even Baghdad would sound appealing so with a return back to Thailand it's smiles all the way.

[tahaan]

Well, I've been back in the UK for just over a year after six years in Thailand and both the wife and I think it's great. Lots of worries before the return but they quickly disappeared during the settling in process. About the only things I miss are the friends and family left behind, Songkran, kaow nieow metmuang and the occassional blast through Nam Nao national park on the motorbike.

[smokie36]

I've lived in so many places in the UK over the years I've lost count....I've noticed the steady decline in services and quality of life. The best places to live imo are any of the islands....lake district north devon or from inverness north.....forget the rest for quality of life at all....grey faces miserable people....another mate made redundant yesterday....more joy and happiness. Stay where you are and don't go anywhere near the UK unless you are superrich or of non UK origin then its a party all the way....

I guess your mates family will go hungry now will they? He better go begging or get a job sweeping the streets to survive. You might want to advise him to come and live in Thailand quickly. If he's unemployed here he'll have an easy time of it. The unemployed Thais here get great support from their government as well as family allowance and great free health care etc. The Uk is well screwed. Life in Thailand is much easier.

Right now with the sun shining and a years mortgate protection a few quid in the bank to tide him over for a few months etc.....but when winter returns and with two young kids if no work on the horizon well its not going to be an easy time for him and many others.....sure its difficult for many people now but my heart sinks when the plane descends into Heathrow nowadays as I know I'm heading into a country in general decline rather than a place full of opportunities....and don't get me started on the red tape b*shit.

[Richb2004v2]

I've lived in so many places in the UK over the years I've lost count....I've noticed the steady decline in services and quality of life. The best places to live imo are any of the islands....lake district north devon or from inverness north.....forget the rest for quality of life at all....grey faces miserable people....another mate made redundant yesterday....more joy and happiness. Stay where you are and don't go anywhere near the UK unless you are superrich or of non UK origin then its a party all the way....

I guess your mates family will go hungry now will they? He better go begging or get a job sweeping the streets to survive. You might want to advise him to come and live in Thailand quickly. If he's unemployed here he'll have an easy time of it. The unemployed Thais here get great support from their government as well as family allowance and great free health care etc. The Uk is well screwed. Life in Thailand is much easier.

Right now with the sun shining and a years mortgate protection a few quid in the bank to tide him over for a few months etc.....but when winter returns and with two young kids if no work on the horizon well its not going to be an easy time for him and many others.....sure its difficult for many people now but my heart sinks when the plane descends into Heathrow nowadays as I know I'm heading into a country in general decline rather than a place full of opportunities....and don't get me started on the red tape b*shit.

Oh yeah, all that red tape! Why oh why haven't the developed countries followed the Thailand example of corruption and total lack of rules and regulations? I just don't get it. Don't get me started on decline. I remember once seeing a pot hole in a road in the Uk some years back! In Thailand the streets are paved with gold and it's a land of opportunity for sure. I mean come on, there's no comparison. When someone thinks of modern, prosperous, developed, desirable country they immediately think of Thailand. All those people living in tin sheds in poverty are a sure sign of that.