What Are Reason Why People Would Prefer To Go Back To Europe?

[Ulysses G.]

I am also surprised by people who have no desire to fit in but insist on giving their negative opinions for the sake of it.

Most of these people don't prefer to go back home. They prefer to moan about it incessantly and never actually leave.

[mahtin]

I was happy to leave Germany for Thailand too.

But I left the UK in 1981 and didn't regret that either.

And I was only in Germany for the beer... no, the work, and that admirable institution Altersteilzeit.... you still there, OP?

Nobody else will know what I'm waffling about.

Bridges burned, definitely.

Like Piaf, I regret nothing.

[barrybankruad]

I am also surprised by people who have no desire to fit in but insist on giving their negative opinions for the sake of it.

Most of these people don't prefer to go back home. They prefer to moan about it incessantly and never actually leave.

How many people do you know who have actually said they have had enough and go back to their country of origin, only to reappear some time later admitting that they were wrong. I have known a few. Would be easy to say 'I told you so' but politeness prevailed.

[Max2010]

A couple that I cared for v deeply (family) left Thailand after living here several years. They HATED the place and only stayed so long 'cos they had good jobs before the Tsunami.

To answer the poster, they hated the lying and cheating (Westerners, not just the locals...), the sleazy atmosphere and were fed up with the heat

p.s. they were also fed up with knowing that they were considered 'second class' citizens, and having to go through hoops at Immigration. Have to say that this is one thing that has definitely improved (most of the time) since I first arrived. Immigration staff used to be as difficult as possible - things have changed and most of the time I find them friendly and helpful now.

I didn't feel like a second-class citizen when I was naturalized in Canada. However, I felt, most jobs were reaserved for the Canadian born (new immigrants need "Canadian" work experience and universities were not able to accomodate educated immigrants to re-certify in order to work in their fields of expertise). My life quickly became difficult and resembled that of a struggling poor citizen in the Third World. And if you think Thailand is giving foreigners a hard time in renewing their residence permits,ask an African or Indian how much preparation is requierd to obtain a TOURIST visa for western nations. Do you know how it feels to be treated as a refugee or a would-be terrorist every time you pass through an airport simply because you happen to be be born in Africa or are happen to have "Muhammad" as a middle name?

I was sad to live in a ghetto, to see Tamil gangs knifing each other in our neighbourhood and witnessing drive-be shootings between Jamaican drug dealers and it was especiually painful to notice lack of educational facilities for my children in their public schools. Eventually I had to leave because I was fed up from denied an opportunity to make my life and that of my family better by using my education and international work experience.

Max2010

[PattayaParent]

I'd prefer to go back to England when

1) there is a year round temperature of 30C+ in the North of England

2) The government abolish income tax so I can enjoy a 6 figure salary without supporting a bunch of greedy cheating MPs.

3) They give away free beer.

Until then I'm quite happy to stay in Thaland where 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Edited March 4, 2011 by PattayaParent

[yermanee]

Having been living hear and happy as hell, I am surprised why some people are complaining that Thailand sucks and want to go back to their Western homelands. Thailand has many advantages which overweigh the bad and I have no intentions of going back to Germany. But I would like to know why some people are unhappy here and want to go back.

I think that is the answer to your question?

Can you elaborate why Germany would be the defining factor ?

Just curious.

Yermanee

[a51mas]

I'd prefer to go back to England when

1) there is a year round temperature of 30C+ in the North of England

2) The government abolish income tax so I can enjoy a 6 figure salary without supporting a bunch of greedy cheating MPs.

3) They give away free beer.

Until then I'm quite happy to stay in Thaland where 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

#2 Can't be right, according to many comments that I have read on TVF, England is the most civilize country, British officials are most honest in the entire universe, and corruption only happened in Thailand.

Edited March 4, 2011 by a51mas

[true blue]

I've only been to a few European airports and really have no desire to see anything else! I consider the polite, friendly and sweet-smelling people of Thailand to be much more welcoming.

Seconded... but... I still live there.

The latest innovation by the geniuses who run Frankfurt Airport is to make people pay 2 EUR deposit to use their trolleys.

You need 2 EUR in coins or you can also use a credit card... how stupid is that?

I came back from Thailand with all my family and didn't have 2 EUR.

Imagine I didn't have a credit card??

On the machine it says that it costs nothing, because you get the 2 EUR back when you put the trolley back into a machine... I wait on my credit card bill.

its the same at manchester airport,you need a pound coin,to get a trolly no credit card machines though.

[F1fanatic]

Let them go, I say. They'll none of them be missed.

I miss my mate and colleague who went back to the UK; I think he went back for career progression and technical challenges, and he felt he was getting led astray here which was affecting his health; I think his girlfriend was keen to get back to an environment where she could have a more fulfilling job as well.

I miss my other friend who went back to be nearer his daughter, and he could not maintain the continuity of employment here to keep her in an international school.

Another colleague left to go back to his wife, though they are now separated, but he prefers to run his business from somewhere easier to do business than Thailand.

SC

Fair comment, Cowboy... but isn't Thailand better off without people who, for perfectly good reasons, don't fit the place? They're better off elsewhere.

I'm with Isanbirder.

I am also surprised by people who have no desire to fit in but insist on giving their negative opinions for the sake of it.

If I went on the dog forum and said I hated dogs or went on the gay forum and said I don't like gays, the mods would kick me off in no time.

(IB - those examples were hypothetical )

Perhaps its cos TV is also frequented by those that have lived here a few years and have some understanding of the culture. They prefer to say what they think on TV (basically an ex-pats forum).

Believe me, many VERY long term ex-pats bore their friends to death with their anti -Thai sentiments!

I agree though (to a certain extent) that - "Thailand better off without people who, for perfectly good reasons, don't fit the place? They're better off elsewhere"

Let's face it, us ex-pats are not going to drag the country into the first world. That's down to EDUCATION for the Thais - not about to happen in the near future I fear.

At the end of the day, most ex-pats live here 'cos its a dam_n sight cheaper than their own country. Bonus - men can find a young woman, when they couldn't even attract an old woman at home

Edit - tin foil helmet on.

Edited March 4, 2011 by F1fanatic

[Ulysses G.]

At the end of the day, most ex-pats live here 'cos its a dam_n sight cheaper than their own country. Bonus - men can find a young woman, when they couldn't even attract an old woman at home

True enough, but you have it backwards.

[MJP]

Well, see it's cheaper for me to moan on the internet here than it would be for me to do exactly the same thing in the UK.

I also like the weather.

[Ulysses G.]

Well, see it's cheaper for me to moan on the internet here than it would be for me to do exactly the same thing in the UK.

Now you have done it. You let the secret out. More grumpy old men will be moving here by the thousands soon.

[MJP]

Well, see it's cheaper for me to moan on the internet here than it would be for me to do exactly the same thing in the UK.

Now you have done it. You let the secret out. More grumpy old men will be moving here by the thousands soon.

I take great comfort in our grumpiness. Here we can be both warm and grumpy. The alternative being cold and probably grumpier in the northern hemisphere.

[geriatrickid]

I think that the frustrating bureaucracy of legal residency in Thailand discourages 'high value' ex-pats and encourages people who are less concerned about compliance with the law.

SC

i agree.

[F1fanatic]

Well, see it's cheaper for me to moan on the internet here than it would be for me to do exactly the same thing in the UK.

Now you have done it. You let the secret out. More grumpy old men will be moving here by the thousands soon.

I take great comfort in our grumpiness. Here we can be both warm and grumpy. The alternative being cold and probably grumpier in the northern hemisphere.

[mstribling]

Like that term "high value" expat. I swear you cannot make this stuff up.

[StreetCowboy]

Like that term "high value" expat. I swear you cannot make this stuff up.

I was really meaning the blokes paying income tax at 37% on their kids' school fees... and spending half a million or more supporting Thailand's "eduction hub", and helping develop export-oriented companies in the country.

SC

[MJP]

Well, see it's cheaper for me to moan on the internet here than it would be for me to do exactly the same thing in the UK.

Now you have done it. You let the secret out. More grumpy old men will be moving here by the thousands soon.

I take great comfort in our grumpiness. Here we can be both warm and grumpy. The alternative being cold and probably grumpier in the northern hemisphere.

These two aren't down Soi Post Office to pick up their pension.

[JurgenG]

Main reason to go back to Europe ? The food and to be closer to my family and my childhood friends.

Main reason to stay : I've short fuse and and I find Asians much less irritating than Europeans at almost levels. Thailand is central and is a good base to live and work in Asia, and again the food is a major factor to chose Thailand over other Asian nations.

Actually, as you may have guess, one of my main question in life is : Do we eat to live or do we live to eat ?

[onnut]

I am leaving next month.

Reasons are education for my boy, I want him to grow up in the UK.

I'm also looking forward to doing certain things I miss. Like mountain biking, and working with professionals in my field. I'm tired of working with people who have a higher degree from uni than I and it's me who has to clear up there incompetence.

Having said that though, I will miss Thailand very much.

[jdinasia]

I am asking this question because the majority of Westerners who come here love it here and do not want to go back at all. However some do not like it here and pack their bags and go back. Some are frustrated because of failed relationships with a Thai woman, some did business and went bankrupt, some cannot find good medical treatment here etc

I am curious --- Where does your statistic "the majority of Westerners who come here love it and do not want to go back at all." come from? Over how many years have you observed this? My personal observations are that of the under 50 crowd, it seems that about 7 out of ten head back to the West within about 7 years. The retired set either cuts and runs after a few years or stay here pretty much until 'the end'. I would think that more would return to "home" if it weren't for the cost of living.

My generalizations come from personal observation and many of the younger group just go back when their kids hit school age.

[StreetCowboy]

I am leaving next month.

Reasons are education for my boy, I want him to grow up in the UK.

I'm also looking forward to doing certain things I miss. Like mountain biking, and working with professionals in my field. I'm tired of working with people who have a higher degree from uni than I and it's me who has to clear up there incompetence.

Having said that though, I will miss Thailand very much.

To be fair, I don;t think a higher degree is any indication of competence at work, but it exposes you to certain more specialised opportunities...and we get paid more for our international experience rather than our qualifications.

I hope that the move back home goes well. For me, the drop in earnings would be too great, I think, to go back home -

",,, and 15% would live there, if they had to"

All my connections are scattered this side of the - well, the Red Sea, now I have expanded my field. But I am seriously considering encouraging the family to move back, but I don't want to do that until I have cleared the current mortgage... I suppose I should look at immigration requirements for New Zealand as an alternative...

SC

EDIT: PS I hope you have found a tolerable solution for the house, and very best wishes back in the UK. Maybe try to forget what you miss about THailand - you'll forget all the corruption and rubbish and incompetence, so if you don;t forget the good things equally (not really forget, but put away from the front of your mind)- if you can't do that you'll be miserable - and maybe by being miserable make your family misreable when they need cheering up most. I think you are doing a right thing - you could stay here, and try to earn enough for international school fees, but then you would see less of your son because you were always working. you would be very exposed to economic insecurity, it wouldn't reinforce British culture in your son, which is important. Very best wishes!

Edited March 5, 2011 by StreetCowboy

[onnut]

Thanks Streetcowboy. To be honest I think since I have made my mind up about going home, I seem to be seeing more and more negative things about Thailand. Really at the moment I cannot wait to go. I am very excited and hope it works out for us.

The house was a worry, but we managed to find a buyer and we should be out at the end of this month. I hope.

We lost everything we put in to it but at the same time I am grateful that we do not have to keep paying the mortgage or have to worry about credit in the future.

Thanks again.

[StreetCowboy]

Thanks Streetcowboy. To be honest I think since I have made my mind up about going home, I seem to be seeing more and more negative things about Thailand. Really at the moment I cannot wait to go. I am very excited and hope it works out for us.

The house was a worry, but we managed to find a buyer and we should be out at the end of this month. I hope.

We lost everything we put in to it but at the same time I am grateful that we do not have to keep paying the mortgage or have to worry about credit in the future.

Thanks again.

Oh, I'm really pleased about the house! YOu don't need the house any more, and the money you've spent is already gone, so treat it as profligate living, rathere than savings lost....but its great that you don't have any further obligations / debts to carry forward. I have a similar apartment in the old country - have you thought about moveing to Glasgow? convenient for the city centre, not too far from Parkhead (to be honest, there's nowehere on earth far enough from Parkhead) and a great investment opportunity...

SC

[onnut]

Glasgow? Lol. I wouldn't last long there. I'm a Chelsea fan. I don't drink shandy though.

I have been in touch with some recruitment agencies back home and there are some very good jobs in my area. I reckon we will be sorted pretty soon.

[StreetCowboy]

Glasgow? Lol. I wouldn't last long there. I'm a Chelsea fan. I don't drink shandy though.

I have been in touch with some recruitment agencies back home and there are some very good jobs in my area. I reckon we will be sorted pretty soon.

You should drink shandy. It still makes your breath smell of beer, so that when you stumble, people think you are a pisshead, and it engenders the thirst, without satisfying it.

I'm not a very good salesman for Jolly, am I

On a similar note, my mate drinks lager tops in the bus station...

SC