Been There Done That

[JurgenG]

When does the excitement of moving to Thailand start to wear off ? Does it really ?

I remember the first time I went to Chatuchak, it was "WOW !!!" I could have spent the whole week in the market, everything was so new, so exciting/. Now my gf has to drag me there, I find the place so boring ....The market hasn't changed, I have.

On the other hand, as I go deeper into Thailand, both on a cultural and geographical level, I find all the time new subjects of interest that keep the excitement of living here alive.

But people say all good things have to come an end, is there a time when you have really see it all and you know it's time to move on to .... where ?

[MSingh]

Sounds to me as if you're just bored with Chatachuk, not Thailand..

& no there's never a time when you really see it all, & anyone who thinks they have is either very naive or full of sh*t..

[canuckamuck]

The excitement lasts only 527 days, it was in the brochure.

[Tonto21]

When does the excitement of moving to Thailand, (Anywhere) start to wear off? When you keep going and doing the same things over and over again! Get out of that rut, go and do something else. How about a train trip, or do some trekking, biking. Time to start sucking on the marrow JurgenG! It's never to early or late for a MLC, (mid-life crisis) Good luck.

[Loz]

Bordeom is internal. if you don't like it, change something in your life.

I was bored when I was kid and found out (from good parenting) that the problem was one I could solve for myself and have control of my life, or have solved by others and always be dependant on outside help.

Sounds like OP should pick up a copy of "The magic of thinking big: " David j. Shwartz

[Naam]

The excitement lasts only 527 days, it was in the brochure.

the brochure also mentions that excitement lasts half that time when you are married. according to my calculator that means after 263½ days

[cobra]

Bordeom is internal. if you don't like it, change something in your life...

Yes indeed,

Want to break up the boring, say Yes to everything, things get exciting very quickly,

caution: your results may vary.

[JurgenG]

For the time being, as MSingh rightly noticed, it's only with Chatuchak that I'm bored, not really a mid-life crisis.

A friend of mine has this rule of 3 : 3 days, 3 month, 3 years.

For some, 3 days in a foreign country, time to take some pictures, visit a couple of museum, sample the local food, and it's time to go home. Others enjoy longer vacation but are not ready yet for expatriation, 3 month's the right period. Then for an other bunch, 3 years is the right amount of time to have a real expatriate experience but life is at home.

For this friend, if you pass 3 years, then you're gone for good. So far, based on the people I meet around me, his rule seems to be proved true

[MSingh]

For the time being, as MSingh rightly noticed, it's only with Chatuchak that I'm bored, not really a mid-life crisis.

A friend of mine has this rule of 3 : 3 days, 3 month, 3 years.

For some, 3 days in a foreign country, time to take some pictures, visit a couple of museum, sample the local food, and it's time to go home. Others enjoy longer vacation but are not ready yet for expatriation, 3 month's the right period. Then for an other bunch, 3 years is the right amount of time to have a real expatriate experience but life is at home.

For this friend, if you pass 3 years, then you're gone for good. So far, based on the people I meet around me, his rule seems to be proved true

I'd be inclined to agree with it too..

[Kwasaki]

The excitement lasts only 527 days, it was in the brochure.

the brochure also mentions that excitement lasts half that time when you are married. according to my calculator that means after 263½ days

Was that your wife's calculator or yours, l think my excitement time is finish too.

Last night I was sitting on sofa watching TV. When I heard my Thai wife's' voice from the kitchen.

" What would you like for dinner, my love? Chicken, Beef or Lamb? "

I said, " Thank you darling, I'll the have chicken."

She replied " You're having soup, arse-hole. I was talking to the cat."

[Forethat]

When does the excitement of moving to Thailand start to wear off ? Does it really ?

I am confident this question only applies to those who came because they first went on a holiday with friends and fell in love with the laid back bar life and easy sex with beautiful girls (most of the posters here could only dream of shagging a 20 year old for lunch). So they decided they wanted to live in Thailand and got a job as an English teacher. Let's say that's category 1. Then we have the little entrepreneur who's a part time owner in a bar in Pattaya' date=' The bar is owned by his girlfriend and he's bouncing between Poi Pet and Thailand a couple of times per year to maintain some sort of legal status (update his tourist visa). Let's say that's category 2. But category 2 still came for the girls and bar life.[/size']

In the first two categories you're likely to find the people who's had enough, but I still get the feeling there's a difference in personality. The guy who was never meant to be here will get annoyed after about 1,5-2 years. At this point he will begin to talk badly about everything that's Thai. They usually return home after 3 years. La gon.

People in category 3 are the ones that are less likely to get bored with this country, ever. They work for an international company and have a decent salary 3-500K each month. They also have a housing benefit, health insurances and sometimes a company car. They didn't come here because they liked to shag Nana brass, but because they have a company objective. People in this category can afford to go on holiday where they want, they usually get a couple of return flights for the family each year and they can do this for a period of time during which the company caters for all investment to their pension.

Category 4 are the embassy staff. These are the ones I tend to socialize with the most. This is a good networking opportunity, and usually involves the people of category 3.

My opinion is that you are probably likely to get bored with the bar life and the halfway out of society life and sometimes semi-legal lifestyle that a majority of category 1 and 2 expats live. I can tell you here and now that I wouldn't be able to cope with this for a day.

How they do it? I have no clue.

[mark45y]

There a lot of other categories. How about the guys that came here in the late 60's and early 70's in the military. They have raised their families in the west and came back to retire here. Not much has changed in 40 years and they knew what to expect before they returned.

The officers got the good girls and the enlisted ranks got the prostitutes and the officers got gonorrhea from the toilet seats. Things have settled down a bit and it is not as wild as it once was but that is better for the old guys,

Since they knew what to expect I imagine they don't tire of the place easily. I certainly have changed but Thailand remains about the same for me. I was dating 25 year old hi so Thai Chinese girls in 1968 and am still dating 25 year old hi so Thai Chinese girls in 2010.

I didn't go into bars much in 1968 and I still don't in 2010. I live a stones throw away from where I lived in 1968.

Actually I got pretty used to the place in the 60's and was bored for 40 years in the States till I got back here.

[IanForbes]

Bordeom is internal. if you don't like it, change something in your life...

Yes indeed,

Want to break up the boring, say Yes to everything, things get exciting very quickly,

caution: your results may vary.

That is a different wording for a credo that I've always lived by... Never miss an opportunity to do anything within reason.

I wouldn't call jumping out of a plane without a parachute, and having a friend bring you one on the way down, as reasonable... but it WOULD be exciting and you wouldn't be bored. I've had friends do just such things. I gave up jumping out of planes after a few friends were killed and others permanently maimed.

[StreetCowboy]

Bordeom is internal. if you don't like it, change something in your life...

Yes indeed,

Want to break up the boring, say Yes to everything, things get exciting very quickly,

caution: your results may vary.

That is a different wording for a credo that I've always lived by... Never miss an opportunity to do anything within reason.

I wouldn't call jumping out of a plane without a parachute, and having a friend bring you one on the way down, as reasonable... but it WOULD be exciting and you wouldn't be bored. I've had friends do just such things. I gave up jumping out of planes after a few friends were killed and others permanently maimed.

The success of my career has been founded on three personal attributes:

- sharp ears

- quick right hand

- poor ability to identify risks

I can do that....

SC

[mark45y]

Bordeom is internal. if you don't like it, change something in your life...

Yes indeed,

Want to break up the boring, say Yes to everything, things get exciting very quickly,

caution: your results may vary.

That is a different wording for a credo that I've always lived by... Never miss an opportunity to do anything within reason.

I wouldn't call jumping out of a plane without a parachute, and having a friend bring you one on the way down, as reasonable... but it WOULD be exciting and you wouldn't be bored. I've had friends do just such things. I gave up jumping out of planes after a few friends were killed and others permanently maimed.

The success of my career has been founded on three personal attributes:

- sharp ears

- quick right hand

- poor ability to identify risks

I can do that....

SC

You get paid for being a flasher? Cool. Where do I apply?

[MikeyIdea]

It never starts to wear off once you learn to appreciate the people of Thailand (to do that you may have to turn off comparing their discipline with Germans though). 19 years and I am as excited as ever.

[canuckamuck]

For the best success try switching off your brain entirely.