Expats Who Just Stagnate In One Place

[welsh1]

Lived here 10 years,lived in the same house for 9 years(in the sticks)every now and again do a 8-9 hour drive down toPattaya with with the Wife,soon glad to get back home.

Any one who visits pattaya is glad to get back home after visting that SH@#hole !!

What a spectacularly ignorant comment. In my opinion.

Quite clearly, there are some people (within the class 'anyone') who save up all year for their trip to Pattaya, and start counting down the days till they get back on the van to Suvarnabhumi.

I think if you did not blindly limit yourself to the parts of Pattaya that you do not like, you might form a better opinion of the city.

SC

Leave it out....work and save all year round to just come to Thailand to visit and then stay in pattay for the duration of there holiday ....What a waste of money if you ask me

far better and far nicer places to visit in thailand than Pattaya .

[bifftastic]

SHOTIME - Definitely a lack of purpose....a guy I know drinks in Nana 7 nigths a week, that to some may sound like a great life but he told me when he gets home he wants to hang himself.

I've read all the posts on here and the little digs etc, but there is nothing nobody here can say that won't make convince me otherwise that li'ving' in bkk 365 days a year, year in year out is a very sad existance.

Well now, that would depend on your quality of life.

I can quite easily imagine, and indeed have done this myself in London, never leaving the city.

Before I started to visit Thailand, there have been periods of over 5 years where I never left my city. It had everything I wanted!

It is, I believe, quite a different thing to stay in one small area of a country without ever going anywhere else, given that that person has travelled thousands of miles to be there in the first place.

As for staying in a whole city the size of Bangkok, absolutely, of course you could, if you're a 'city person'. If you're not, you probably wouldn't want to stay there for more than five minutes!

Quite a different subject is the repetitive nature of some people's lives, for example, drinking in Nana 7 days a week would drive me crazy with boredom! That doesn't equate to staying in Bangkok, there's more to any city than one street of bars!

Life is what you make of it, wherever you are.

[StreetCowboy]

Lived here 10 years,lived in the same house for 9 years(in the sticks)every now and again do a 8-9 hour drive down toPattaya with with the Wife,soon glad to get back home.

Any one who visits pattaya is glad to get back home after visting that SH@#hole !!

What a spectacularly ignorant comment. In my opinion.

Quite clearly, there are some people (within the class 'anyone') who save up all year for their trip to Pattaya, and start counting down the days till they get back on the van to Suvarnabhumi.

I think if you did not blindly limit yourself to the parts of Pattaya that you do not like, you might form a better opinion of the city.

SC

Leave it out....work and save all year round to just come to Thailand to visit and then stay in pattay for the duration of there holiday ....What a waste of money if you ask me

far better and far nicer places to visit in thailand than Pattaya .

We are all entitled to our opinions (depending on where we live, and on what topics)

I think it is quite nice that some people are satisfied with what they know.

To be honest, for drinking and whoring, I'm struggling to think of somewhere better than Pattaya.

But the target of the OP was the Nakhon Nowhere Numpties who spend their lives (in his opinion) in squalid and sad parochial mundanity.

I suppose his point is - how sad is it that someone chooses to live in peaceful serenity after travelling half way round the world to find it?

In my opinion, half way round the world is not a great distance to go to find serenity, and why would one abandon it after finding it?

SC

[ozzieovaseas]

I'd be interested to know where the Op has found all these stagnaters, if he was'nt stagnating in the same place as well.

Can't say ive met to many farangs in Thailand, but those whom i have will usually chew your ears off about the many hundreds of thousands of fantastic places they've ventured on their mystical tours...Not once have i heard someone admit that they have squatted in the same place indefinately.

But then again i dont make a habit of stagnating in the same places that the stagnaters usually stagnate

[StreetCowboy]

I'd be interested to know where the Op has found all these stagnaters, if he was'nt stagnating in the same place as well.

Can't say ive met to many farangs in Thailand, but those whom i have will usually chew your ears off about the many hundreds of thousands of fantastic places they've ventured on their mystical tours...Not once have i heard someone admit that they have squatted in the same place indefinately.

But then again i dont make a habit of stagnating in the same places that the stagnaters usually stagnate

I've stayed in pretty much the same place in six different countries for the last 12 years.

When you have seen one place, one tourist attraction, one foreign culture, one foreign language, you've pretty much seen them all, unless you;re a shallow pretentionist stamp collector.

I used to collect flags, but I am not sure that is a proper hobby

SC

[tartempion]

I once spent one week at Aguanish, Quebec.

The most obvious way to get there was by DC3 plane, no road, 1 boat/week delivering goods.

Two old ladies were running the local hardware shop.

Had a chat whilst seeking cover from the rain.

They never went farther than Natasquan, 15km North or to their summer cabin, 10km South by dirt road, no other roads West for 5000kms, East the Atlantic Ocean.

Seems to me both ladies had a well fulfilled life

[aneliane]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

[somtampet]

Some of these guys u mention might have a 50 million baht condo and its so comfortable they dont want to move and stop in hotels for days on end.I have everything i want but i do travel sometimes,but maybe the guy has a dog or 3 cats like me.we have choices in life and me giving a brilliant home and wonderful food for 3 soi cats is far more fulfilling than thinking of myself,like you,all the time

[somtampet]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

are u a teacher ????

[robblok]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

Wow that really is almost nothing. I would hate to live on a tight budget like that. Most of my Thai family make more then that.

[aneliane]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

are u a teacher ????

I teach private, a few hours, do a little bit of blog editing, and this week some cat sitting 300 thb a day, 2 days wow i'm rich !

[somtampet]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

are u a teacher ????

I teach private, a few hours, do a little bit of blog editing, and this week some cat sitting 300 thb a day, 2 days wow i'm rich !

Do u do cat sitting in Pattaya,i assume u are a lady,but not thai

[Soutpeel]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

are u a teacher ????

[somtampet]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

Wow that really is almost nothing. I would hate to live on a tight budget like that. Most of my Thai family make more then that.

I bet the person is much nicer than some of the so called hi-so bangkok wannabees

[wolf5370]

aside from the stagnaters the people I find very suspicious/strange are the ones who say they could never live back where they originally come from?

I couldn't live back where I came from - the people I sold the house to would not like it

//typo (re-edit - I actually spelt "typo" wrong - doh!)//

Edited July 8, 2011 by wolf5370

[aneliane]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

are u a teacher ????

I teach private, a few hours, do a little bit of blog editing, and this week some cat sitting 300 thb a day, 2 days wow i'm rich !

Do u do cat sitting in Pattaya,i assume u are a lady,but not thai

Yes I am a lady, a French one, and I was cat-sitting in Sukhumvit for the last couple of days ... By the way if any of you need to go on hols and want your pets to be looked after in Bangok, I'm very good with animals

[robblok]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

Wow that really is almost nothing. I would hate to live on a tight budget like that. Most of my Thai family make more then that.

I bet the person is much nicer than some of the so called hi-so bangkok wannabees

I would not consider my family hi so far from that but 8000 bt a month is not much of an income. My wife makes 20-30k (depending on the month) the rest make a lot less but more then 8k. That is not hi so by a long shot.

[robblok]

I teach private, a few hours, do a little bit of blog editing, and this week some cat sitting 300 thb a day, 2 days wow i'm rich !

Do u do cat sitting in Pattaya,i assume u are a lady,but not thai

Yes I am a lady, a French one, and I was cat-sitting in Sukhumvit for the last couple of days ... By the way if any of you need to go on hols and want your pets to be looked after in Bangok, I'm very good with animals

I got a few dogs that sometimes need someone to look after. Normally the mother in law does it but there might be times when she is not available. I will keep you in mind.

[wolf5370]

I think there is more to it that travelling. I am not of retirement age, but I can not think of much worse than being elderly in the UK for example - sitting in front of the box waiting for meals on wheels, hard to get out and see friends (too expensive to socialise and pubs are made for the young these days). Here for much less money than the rent in the UK they are in a warm country, can have a live in maid/partner, have a built in community by the fact that they are of the group "expat". My parents live in Spain as expats and have done for more than a decade - its warm and they are surrounded by friends my way of being fellow expats. The need to travel is the pull to some, others just being away from that depressing though of dieing slowly and lonely in the misery of aches, pains and cold weather - and with like-minded friends, a cheap beer, in a friendly bar, a nice but cheap meal and a live in to help empty the commode. No comparison.

[robblok]

I enjoy my life here, i don't need to move all over Thailand. When i want and have time i go fishing in some lakes near here. When that does not satisfy me i can go shopping or watch a movie.

At times we take the car and go to some nature park and once a year a couple of weeks in Krabi, but rest of the time i spend close to home working.

I can actually be quite happy fishing a couple of days a week. Then i don't need much else. I do some training at home.

[wolf5370]

Do u do cat sitting in Pattaya,i assume u are a lady,but not thai

Yes I am a lady, a French one, and I was cat-sitting in Sukhumvit for the last couple of days ... By the way if any of you need to go on hols and want your pets to be looked after in Bangok, I'm very good with animals

If you ever move to Cm let me know - often need someone to look after my cat when I am out over night (he gets very worried and has a tendency to eat soi dogs if if not there to watch him - seriously! Well maybe not eat - just taste a little, a quick chew).

[aneliane]

I live on 214.50 thb a day, try going travelling with that

Wow that really is almost nothing. I would hate to live on a tight budget like that. Most of my Thai family make more then that.

I bet the person is much nicer than some of the so called hi-so bangkok wannabees

I would not consider my family hi so far from that but 8000 bt a month is not much of an income. My wife makes 20-30k (depending on the month) the rest make a lot less but more then 8k. That is not hi so by a long shot.

Surely it is not an income, I only work a few hours a week though and consider myself as unemployed or part-timer trying to make a living here

[aneliane]

Do u do cat sitting in Pattaya,i assume u are a lady,but not thai

Yes I am a lady, a French one, and I was cat-sitting in Sukhumvit for the last couple of days ... By the way if any of you need to go on hols and want your pets to be looked after in Bangok, I'm very good with animals

If you ever move to Cm let me know - often need someone to look after my cat when I am out over night (he gets very worried and has a tendency to eat soi dogs if if not there to watch him - seriously! Well maybe not eat - just taste a little, a quick chew).

ok I'll keep that in mind thank you

[outofoz]

Each to their own I say. If you find somewhere you like and you are happy and content you might not feel the need for constant travel. It's what makes us all individuals.

[happyrobert]

I teach private, a few hours, do a little bit of blog editing, and this week some cat sitting 300 thb a day, 2 days wow i'm rich !

Do u do cat sitting in Pattaya,i assume u are a lady,but not thai

Yes I am a lady, a French one, and I was cat-sitting in Sukhumvit for the last couple of days ... By the way if any of you need to go on hols and want your pets to be looked after in Bangok, I'm very good with animals

If they get feisty, do you superglue them to the floor?

[Gary A]

I live in the boonies upcountry. I have a dog, a cat, a nice workshop and plenty of toys. I hate to travel and really dislike staying in hotels. I especially dislike fancy restaurants. My wife is a farm girl and when it is planting or harvesting time, she tells me that she has no time to take care of me.

During her busiest times, I leave home and stay in a condo in Jomtien that I still own. Since I can leave many things in the condo and don't have to drag everything back and forth, it's not too bad. I cook for myself most of the time but do go out to eat several times a week. I just returned from spending ten days in Jomtien. I have to say that I was quite happy to get back home.

I burned out on Pattaya years ago and of the ten days in Jomtien, I was able to totally avoid Pattaya. I do enjoy seeing my old friends in Jomtien but after just a few days, I am ready to go back home.

Stagnated? Not a chance. What's wrong with being happy and comfortable at home?

[bonobo]

Personally, I need to travel. I need to see new things. But for many people, there is a comfort level in doing the same thing day after day. Think back to the American TV show "Cheers." I could think of nothing drearier than going to the same bar every day, but obviously, there is an allure.

Many of the expats I know here are former military, brought to the region against their will, so-to-speak. But they found out the liked it. Maybe they married a Thai woman, maybe they just came back after retirement where their retirement income could stretch further. But they are at heart the same routine-driven individuals who have no interest on travel for travel's sake. THey are quite happy living where they are and doing what they do.

While that is not me, and that would drive me crazy, there is no reason to have a condescending attitude towards expats of that ilk. Whatever floats a person's boat is his or her business, and no one else's, and no one way of life is inherently superior to anyone else's way of life.

[robblok]

I live in the boonies upcountry. I have a dog, a cat, a nice workshop and plenty of toys. I hate to travel and really dislike staying in hotels. I especially dislike fancy restaurants. My wife is a farm girl and when it is planting or harvesting time, she tells me that she has no time to take care of me.

During her busiest times, I leave home and stay in a condo in Jomtien that I still own. Since I can leave many things in the condo and don't have to drag everything back and forth, it's not too bad. I cook for myself most of the time but do go out to eat several times a week. I just returned from spending ten days in Jomtien. I have to say that I was quite happy to get back home.

I burned out on Pattaya years ago and of the ten days in Jomtien, I was able to totally avoid Pattaya. I do enjoy seeing my old friends in Jomtien but after just a few days, I am ready to go back home.

Stagnated? Not a chance. What's wrong with being happy and comfortable at home?

I know the feeling after being back to Holland last month for a 2 week holiday i was ready to go back to Thailand. Its just good to be at home in your own spot. I think the trick is finding a spot that has to offer what you like. Then you dont need to travel too much.

[aneliane]

I teach private, a few hours, do a little bit of blog editing, and this week some cat sitting 300 thb a day, 2 days wow i'm rich !

Do u do cat sitting in Pattaya,i assume u are a lady,but not thai

Yes I am a lady, a French one, and I was cat-sitting in Sukhumvit for the last couple of days ... By the way if any of you need to go on hols and want your pets to be looked after in Bangok, I'm very good with animals

If they get feisty, do you superglue them to the floor?

lol

OP : To answer your discussion, if I had money yes I would definitely go travelling, not necessarily in Thailand though as I did most of it already ... I would go travelling abroad like Bali or Tibet.

But you have to realize many farangs are actually barely scrapping it here, they might have their pride and not actually say it on a forum like I do here, but teacher's salaries have dropped from 40k to 30 sometimes 25k, and demand for teachers is finally being met in Thailand. You only have to look at craiglist to read everyday native teachers begging for jobs, which would have never happened before. Times are hard ...

[billd766]

I retired from working 2 years ago and I have not left Thailand since then.

In my 50 years of working life I have lived and worked in 38 countries,sometimes in hotels, apartments and the odd shack or 2.

I live up country and I have done so since 2003 and I have been coming to/living in Thailand since 1993.

I was married with one son in the UK, divorced and now remarried to a Thai and we have one son.

I live in Central Thailand and go out and about on my motorbike when I feel the need.

I have paid my travelling dues and I am now happy to "stagnate" in the OP words of do what makes me happy in my words.

In the last 2 mornings I have seen 2 beautiful sunrises.

The people here are friendly and most of the kids and half the adults wave when I go past on my motorbike. I am still trying to learn Thai but being partly deaf in both ears doesn't help, the food is OK and I have freedom from so many stupid rules (such as putting the trash out on the wrong day) and people.

I like Thailand and love it up here so why would I want/need to go somewhere else.