Usa Vs Thailand

[kerryk]

There are even loads of young beautiful women available in the US to older guys that have big bucks which takes away one of the biggest advantages of LOS or to put it another way, I don't think we are ever going to see Donald Trump chasing young beautiful women in Thailand.

Well that is great for men with as much money as Donald Trump,but less wealthy men are going to do WAY better in Thailand.

I lived with young women in the States and there are a couple of problems besides the obvious ones. Parents and family in the States are not usually real happy about the winter spring relationships making family gatherings difficult. In Thailand this is the opposite in most cases or at least tolerated.

Then there is the question of what to do. Entertainment in Thailand is cross generational making kids, mom and pop and the grandparents welcome at most festivals, parties and a lot of clubs so there is never a lack of things to do with your younger girlfriend and she is rarely bored.

In the States at some point in time the mosh pit diving begins (I think that is the word) and time for the old gits to get out of the way or get hurt.

In the States I got the, “table for you and your daughter” thing a lot. That never happens to me here. I don't live in a tourist area and most of the older men and younger women are Thai married couples. It is far more accepted than in the States. About the only people that don't accept it are Western types who find themselves trying to make Loei match London and it is a hard squeeze at best.

[lomatopo]

Congrats on the move. I suspect you will find another hundred or so things that are better for you, your wife and your child. Hardly surprising, but a nice reminder. Thanks, and keep us updated.

"Here are my thoughts on returning home (with my Thai wife and child)."

Your child will benefit greatly, perhaps this will be the ultimate reward for the move?

------

OK, so it is Florida. How challenging can it be to drive? Grandma has had her blinker on for the last 12 miles?

[KeyserSoze01]

And don't even get me started with health care cost

What no one seems to realise is that the USA is probably on it's last good days. With 14 trillion $ in debt and rising at billions a day, and with no politician consensus as to the way forward, China is one day going to want it's money back, and it'll be game over for the US.

Interest rates will be going up after the credit rating devaluation, and it's probably going to get a further downgrade as the last debt talkfest achieved little. The US is addicted to wars it won't fund and living beyond it's means.

Enjoy the good days while you can.

The entire world economic system would grind to a halt if the Chinese tried to flood the market with US Treasuries. Besides, who would buy them? That precipice has already been crossed when the Chinese and Russians agreed not to do this very thing in 2008 during the meltdown of the US banking system.

As far as interest rates, it is estimated the overall impact to the average consumer on short-term debt to 30 year fixed rate mortgages, will only increase rates by .25% - .5%... Considering that the Fed has pegged their rates at 0.00% for the next two years, there will be no mass rate hikes across the board. Nothing like the 22.0% rates we were paying in the 1970's under Jimmy Carter.

edit: typo

Edited August 12, 2011 by KeyserSoze01

[Ulysses G.]

Translation please? Is that good or bad for the USA?

Edited August 12, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[gregb]

This is a very interesting thread. I hope more people share their experiences.

I don't see a high probability that I will be taking my family back to the states in the immediate future. I want the children to get a good understanding of Asian culture before being introduced to the West. Asia is on its ascendency while the West is in decline. But my mother is really pushing for me to come back so she can spend time with her grandchildren. She really hates Thailand, so although she has been coming over here once a year and staying for several weeks, it is never pleasant. So I am considering the pros and cons of a return.

If I were to return though, it would have to be after the collapse of the USD. The poverty that such a discontinuity would introduce will almost certainly resolve much of the stupidity that exists throughout America. Children being told they can't operate lemonade stands, people being told they can't have a garden in their front yard, farmers being told they can't sell fresh milk and eggs or slaughter their own livestock, etc. Stupidity like that just tends to get ignored when people are starving, and I don't think I could handle it before then. I'd probably wind up in prison for calling the judge a moron and telling him to stick his decision up his ass.

So I'm not real concerned about the money part. The US economy will eventually collapse and solve that problem for me. Things that are unsustainable won't be sustained. You just need to be patient. My bigger concern is how people adjusted to the culture. I've been away from the states for almost 15 years. When I talk with people back home, I realize my perspective is simply different. I don't have the "Rah, Rah! US is the greatest nation on earth!" attitude. In fact, I tend to look at it as a diseased culture in serious need of help.

Has anyone who has moved back with their family found themselves unable to relate to people there, and if so, how did you deal with that problem?

[Jingthing]

Many intelligent people in the US have never bought the nationalist propaganda espoused by the tea party types. We're number one! Well, yes, if you're talking about military spending and obesity. American exceptionalism? Well, yes, especially messed up. Still the only advanced western country that I know of without a decent health care access system, and no Obamacare which looks to be crushed anyway, doesn't cut it.

Edited August 12, 2011 by Jingthing

[KeyserSoze01]

Translation please? Is that good or bad for the USA?

It's good for the USA.

The overall impact on interest rates for the average Joe in the USA will be an increase of between 0.25% - 0.50% on CC debt, short term loans and mortgages.

[aneliane]

for me, it's the huge variety of indegenous flora and fauna.

[flying]

Many intelligent people in the US have never bought the nationalist propaganda espoused by the tea party types.

Puleeze.....I hope your not going to turn another perfectly good thread into a soapbox for your political agendas.

The term ugly American was coined many generations ago.

[StreetCowboy]

Many intelligent people in the US have never bought the nationalist propaganda espoused by the tea party types.

Puleeze.....I hope your not going to turn another perfectly good thread into a soapbox for your political agendas.

The term ugly American was coined many generations ago.

What I've found is that people take helpful advice or polite requests far more readily if you don't add a quip from which they might infer insult.

JT: Please ignore his second comment and avoid sidetracking on to your own political agenda; no need to reply; some times you say most when you say nothing at all

(Pots and kettles, eh?)

The USA and Australia are two places that I have never felt tempted to move to; all right, I was tempted once, but I resisted that temptation; I suppose because they seem familiar, but still not home.

Though as I've said elsewhere, I've never chosen to live anywhere because of the place.

The ability to walk down the street without getting muck all over your shoes; the ability to relax while driving; the rarity of foul-smelling drains; accessibility of the countryside...

Cheaper education and the ability to forego private health care (I suppose irrelevant to those from the US...), safety / freedom for the kids

Maybe in a couple of years...

SC

[CaptHaddock]

Many intelligent people in the US have never bought the nationalist propaganda espoused by the tea party types.

Puleeze.....I hope your not going to turn another perfectly good thread into a soapbox for your political agendas.

The term ugly American was coined many generations ago.

You may be interested to know that the term "ugly american" was coined as the title of the book, "The Ugly American" by William J. Lederer, about which the Amazon blurb has this to say:

First published in 1958, The Ugly American became a runaway national bestseller for its slashing exposé of American arrogance, incompetence, and corruption in Southeast Asia. Based on fact, the book's eye-opening stories and sketches drew a devastating picture of how the United States was losing the struggle with Communism in Asia. Combining gripping storytelling with an urgent call to action, the book prompted President Eisenhower to launch a study of our military aid program.

It's hard to see how the term would apply to Jingthing.

[flying]

It's hard to see how the term would apply to Jingthing.

It was not meant to.

It was to point out that American cheer leading which he was trying to ascribe to the Tea Party ...as usual

has been around for a long time & is often the reason given for calling someone an Ugly American.

Ugly American a term used to refer to perceptions of arrogant behavior by Americans abroad

apologies to the Op for going OT

[moe666]

I do not think I would call the Tea Baggers cheerleaders they tend to do more bashing than praising and they should more than likely be called the angry american as opposed to the ugly american. They have become the people aganist everything and ventalateing aganist any reasonable option seems to be there idea of negotiateing. The US is just fine and will work it way thru this eventually it didn't happen overnight and will not be corrected overnight.

Back to the OP what can I say I like Thailand and being there the energy just rubs off on me. As my son once said if I look out my door I want to see something crazy or at least hear crazy and I think Thailand meets that requirement. If you want to know we lived in an area by the local University lots of happening stuff. The only food I miss is green chili and unless you live or have lived in New Mwxico you will not have a clue. I like it but can live without it and all of that other crap Italian forget about it usually to much garlic. I can go on forever but will not.

I spent 10 years in the Navy and have the wanderlust but I can slow down in Thailand Its a great place and yes it has its krap but as with all things and places it pretty much a state of mind that really counts. Oct here I come back to the land of smiles with my rose colored glasses on heheheeheheh. O and no Tea baggers yuk I like the red shirts better

Edited August 12, 2011 by moe666

[thaibeachlovers]

I do not think I would call the Tea Baggers cheerleaders they tend to do more bashing than praising and they should more than likely be called the angry american as opposed to the ugly american. They have become the people aganist everything and ventalateing aganist any reasonable option seems to be there idea of negotiateing. The US is just fine and will work it way thru this eventually it didn't happen overnight and will not be corrected overnight.

Back to the OP what can I say I like Thailand and being there the energy just rubs off on me. As my son once said if I look out my door I want to see something crazy or at least hear crazy and I think Thailand meets that requirement. If you want to know we lived in an area by the local University lots of happening stuff. The only food I miss is green chili and unless you live or have lived in New Mwxico you will not have a clue. I like it but can live without it and all of that other crap Italian forget about it usually to much garlic. I can go on forever but will not.

I spent 10 years in the Navy and have the wanderlust but I can slow down in Thailand Its a great place and yes it has its krap but as with all things and places it pretty much a state of mind that really counts. Oct here I come back to the land of smiles with my rose colored glasses on heheheeheheh. O and no Tea baggers yuk I like the red shirts better

I guess one can look at anything from two opposing viewpoints.

You say the teabaggers are against everything, but I see people that are FOR something ie small government and capitalism.

While you may say the US is fine, just how do you propose that they pay back 14 trillion ( and rising ), or are you saying that a magic money tree will appear? Eventually, the market will say enough, and no one will lend the US any more money at an affordable rate. Once that happens, the only option is to print money ( which they are already doing ), and then it's the Weimar Republic all over again. And that's when it starts to get dangerous.

[thaibeachlovers]

Translation please? Is that good or bad for the USA?

It's good for the USA.

The overall impact on interest rates for the average Joe in the USA will be an increase of between 0.25% - 0.50% on CC debt, short term loans and mortgages.

And what happens when S & P downgrades the US again, as it very well could? This is only the beginning.

No one and no country can live on borrowed money indefinitely, especially if there is NO WAY it can be paid back! Eventually the market will do what the market does, and then it will get ugly. Look at Greece and Ireland for examples of what to look forward to.

[bonobo]

Let's stay off the politics of the USA here and stick to the differences as brought up by the OP. There are already a few threads going on in the News Forum where you can argue to your heart's content on Tea Partiers, Obama, the economy, and the like.

[chops]

Well, I guess it suites you. Never did so with me, which is why I emigrated.

[chops]

There are even loads of young beautiful women available in the US to older guys that have big bucks which takes away one of the biggest advantages of LOS or to put it another way, I don't think we are ever going to see Donald Trump chasing young beautiful women in Thailand.

Well that is great for men with as much money as Donald Trump,but less wealthy men are going to do WAY better in Thailand.

Yeah, if you're not making $250k a year or more you have to settle for a BBW with attitude these days.

[nong38]

Intersting post indeed. I first came here about 3 years ago and after 3 weeks thought I might make the move from the UK, the Uk is not what it was for me. When you look at the pluses and minuses no place is 100% and you cannot cherry pick,so, its a case of which looks the best option. There are things I miss about the UK but over all I think Thailand offers me a much better option and a better standard of living and I am not rich by the way. There some things about Thailand I get annoyed about ( please dont say " if you dont like it you can always go home.") that is a pretty empty statement. I would like thai road behaviour to be better, service to be better, to be treated fairly and I am sure there are others, but generally I came here to fit in an accept the thai way, which is not what is happening in the UK, I am expected to fit in with all the arrivees from foreign lands rather than the other way round. I am happier in Thailand than back in the UK so no regrets about moving here for most of the year, no pc, lack of regulations, all been mentioned before, if though I get the opportunity to change a few things for the better I will, but, not holding my breath!!

Edited August 13, 2011 by nong38

[jackdawson]

USA better

that's funny

i like that

just read they've proposed to increase the toll for the G. Washington Bridge NY / NJ to $17...!

Edited August 13, 2011 by jackdawson

[kerryk]

My first haircut in South East Asia involved three people besides myself, a back of the hand mounted electric motor vibrator, ginger soap and a small woman walking on my back. It was about $5 in 1968. The next one that sticks in my mind was on Central Pattaya road and a business like masked woman who used a new straight razor blade to give me a shave and a hair cut for around $3 daily. I did have to shave myself at home before she shaved me or I got razor burn and cuts. But having said that her finishing shave made my face like a babies bottom for about 5 hours. Currently I get a weekly haircut for $2 at a mens barber shop operated by father and son that looks like it came out of an barbers magazine in the 1950's. It is antique ville.

Don't get a haircut on Wednesday's. It is bad luck.

The son cuts my hair better than the father but I kind of like the old guy as he reminds me of me. It was two years before he smiled at me.

So what's a haircut go for in the States today?

I think I already went through the costs of minor doctors bills and rent, 50% to 70% less. However I think the biggest cost saving is Mr. Jones. I don't have to keep up with him anymore. I am not too enamored with feminists, crafty women, PC people, human resources departments but the biggest cost savings is not having to see Mr. Jones anymore. To be sure he comes on Thai Visa every once in a while to spew his own particular brand of venom about his big house, and gardeners and fine morals and lifestyle but for the most part he is as important as tits on a bull. I have left him. I no longer have to keep up with the Joneses. There is just me, the little woman, 6 mia noi's and the old barber down the street. I don't cut grass, or buy new cars or dress up to go to kiddie shows at school anymore.

I don't know who the Joneses are harassing now since I have gone. I guess there are enough people who move back from Thailand to keep them occupied.

Edited August 13, 2011 by kerryk

[Heng]

I like both, although I suppose my frugal side likes it it more.

[zydeco]

Many intelligent people in the US have never bought the nationalist propaganda espoused by the tea party types.

Puleeze.....I hope your not going to turn another perfectly good thread into a soapbox for your political agendas.

The term ugly American was coined many generations ago.

You may be interested to know that the term "ugly american" was coined as the title of the book, "The Ugly American" by William J. Lederer, about which the Amazon blurb has this to say:

First published in 1958, The Ugly American became a runaway national bestseller for its slashing exposé of American arrogance, incompetence, and corruption in Southeast Asia. Based on fact, the book's eye-opening stories and sketches drew a devastating picture of how the United States was losing the struggle with Communism in Asia. Combining gripping storytelling with an urgent call to action, the book prompted President Eisenhower to launch a study of our military aid program.

It's hard to see how the term would apply to Jingthing.

And the movie version, with Marlon Brando, was filmed in Thailand.

Edited August 13, 2011 by zydeco

[JAFO]

Back to the thread,

A couple things before you read as I tried to make my comparison fair. I am not married(Have a very nice self sufficient Thai GF). My Health is excellent and I am fit and free to do whatever I want. My children days are behind me now so I do not have to concern myself with all the educational debates. I am an early retiree by most peoples standards but suspect I will find some part time work to stay busy as time goes on. I think all comparisons will highly depend of each persons status and position in their current lives.

With that said I left the US to see how I would like living in Thailand. I can say this up to this point. One of the best things afforded anyone is the ability to leave your home country and live abroad. It allows you see your home country with different eyes. After my nearly 4 year stay here, It is not an easy comparison and no one place has it all. Its all in your personal perception and tolerance level. I will not dive into politics as they are corrupt all over the world and bring no value to the thread.

Here is what I have found;

* As to the OP comparing BKK to the suburbs of Florida that is like comparing NY to Wyoming. Not realistic. NY, LA, Philly are dirty, filthy and congested too with terrible air and a lousy stench from the sewers. Congestion is bad and cost of living in the city is ridiculous. You cannot drink the tap water in either place. I live south of Bangkok nearing a beach city(NO NOT PATTAYA) as I grew up in Santa Cruz, California. Comparing the 2 places I lived are pretty close and I can say that straight up that Thailand has it beat hands down. Cost, food, lifestyle, laws, rules, traffic etc. I loved Santa Cruz, still do, but here is just simply better. The people are nicer, no parking permits or meters. I go to the markets every night on my moto and grab up the fresh food I like for a few bucks. Food diversity can be had easily where I live. Seafood to Pork to Chicken prepared as BBQ'd style, Soups or fried up with vegetables from bland to spicy. Choice is yours. I LOVE not having to spend 1 hr cooking and cleaning pots, pans and other dishes. I can drive into the main town and have a beer on the street and watch people and no cop is going to hassle me. I am a very active person so freedom to get around is far better here. As with both places you make it what it is. My life is not about being comfortable with food.

* In the US you will have to basically work until you die. The cost of everything drives you to this. If you believe a house is a nest egg better think again. Most people will not be able to afford their property taxes when they want to retire and most people will still be only partially into their long term mortgage. Here you can rent and live well for 10X less. Of course the key here is learning and enjoying living with less. A simple life can be had here where the US is all about keeping up with the "Joneses". I had all the fancy things, big houses, fancy cars in the end it was all more of a show then what I needed. Here I am free of that social pressure.

* There are far to many constraints in the US with laws, rules, regulations and the fees you have to pay to enjoy any sort of activity. Here I can get a pulled over and it is $2 bucks, US that will be 100X more plus your insurance rate will rise. Just driving the length of California will cost you a fortune in gas costs and no you will not eat well on that trip. Traveling around the US is very very costly. Here you can hop a bus, van or train and go north to south quite affordably and every stop offers far healthier food. Here I can fish anywhere any time and no license is required. The list is huge. comparing.

* Public transportation here has the US beat hands down. In the US your are forced to buy a car. With that comes mandatory very expensive insurance and registration fees. If your car breaks it is very costly to maintain and you have basically 1 fuel option. Here you have 4 fuel options. Petroleum, Diesel, GNG and LPG. I love my LPG car, Taxes for the year are a few hundred Baht and insurance is10K baht.

* One of the biggest things to me is not having my life evolve around TV and all the relentless drug commercials. The US sells sickness. It is a huge business. US TV is horrific and sadly that is what most people in the US live for, TV. This is primarily due in part as they cannot afford to do much. People eat terrible food, watch terrible TV and then get up and go sit in a 10 x 10 cubicle and work. Not much of a rewarding life IMHO. To each his own I suppose. it costs far more to eat right and healthy in the US then it is to eat poorly. Its all about convenience.

* Hmmm Medical. Although in excellent health at this time of writing, I have used the medical here a few times, once was for me, the other was for my GF. Mine was to remove 2 annoying moles near my belt line. I was going to do that in the US years back and first I had to go to reg doctor. $25 co-pay. He then referred me to a dermatologist, Ins covered 50% of initial visit. The process was going to be $680 which again ins would cover 50% as they deemed it "Cosmetic". So I blew it off. Here I walked in with my GF, They said sit down, Looked at them. Walked me to laser room. Numbed it up and poof both were gone in 15 minutes. Cost?....$28 bucks with ointment(Neosporin). Medical in the US is pathetic and a huge debate. I just saw some stats the other day that 48% of the people who file bankruptcy do it because of medical bills and expenses and of that 48%, 77% had medical insurance. Most people in the US will spend everything that they saved for retirement to sustain their health and probably never go anywhere. They are conditioned to stay close to their primary physician.That's all I will say about medical.

* I like very much here that I do not have to sign a long term contract with a cell phone agency. Us they suck you in over and over.

* In the US it is a debt driven society. The more you are in debt, the more money the bank will loan you. Here it is a cash based society. I like cash life style. Pay, its done, no hidden interest rates or bill worrying. You buy what you can afford and this drives you to buying needs, not wants. The US makes it far to easy to become debt ridden and charge you to death for it. This explains the excessive consumerism.

* I admit that it is far easier to get things in the US but I think that is only because I do not know how to here yet. Thais seems to do just find. This is part of the learning process and I like that. I am always very elated when I found a place that has something I really need. Its these simple things I appreciate and enjoy.

* (For the single men) As for women (since it is a huge part of why some come here) US woman are pretty materialistic and shallow for the most part. But it is the upbringing and the culture in the US that instilled these values. You better have a nice house, top of the line car, a good job and very good education or you are in trouble. Dating in the US is quite costly, marriage is even more.. I will never marry again for my own personal reasons but one thing that is very clear to me, If I was going to marry here I would never take her back to the US to live. The beauty of a Thai woman is her culture here in Thailand. I have seen over and over how men marry woman from Asian countries, take them back to US and in no time it is upside down. It does not take long for the western culture to jade her quickly. I know this to be very factual as I worked for a manufacturing company that most of the Asian assemblers had come to the US through marrying a US man and in no time it was over. They quickly see that wealthier men exist who will take them in quickly as American woman to a great number of men are unattractive. Of course in a forum environment we have to speak in generalizations. I am aware many last. What the ratio is I have no idea. I just personally know far more that failed then survived.

* I have bought a few items in Thailand and returned them without issue. It is not a common Thai activity but If you just ask, you can.

* I miss very little from the US except a good beer and tortilla chips. I can make better Salsa then the US and fresh everyday, I just need some <deleted> chips...

For now, I enjoy visiting the US, get a few things I need, enjoy a good beer with my dad but am very happy knowing I am coming back. I am not trapped here nor the US so I can enjoy what I need. and want. Maybe that makes Thailand better.....

[chrisandsu]

As a Brit who lives in America and has also lived in Thailand , i can tell you that all 3 places have there upsides and downsides to boot , i think the only beneficial part to living in Thailand would be if i was an older gentleman that did not want to see my money get wasted in a nursing home but being of working age then i would never live there !

i think it offers nothing other then a great holiday destination 3 weeks then home would be sufficient .

i have really come to love America been here 5 years now and feel it is my home i get to work and play , own a home in my name and get treated great by Americans, there's not a double price for me and to be perfectly honest i get a huge cultural pass here . Before i came to live here i had a perception that Americans were general loudmouths but you could not be further from the truth especially here in the great pacific northwest GIVE ME AMERICA ANY DAY OVER THAILAND only downside to here is that work is your life but that's coming from someone born in a socialist country so i could be wrong there!

[gregb]

USA better

that's funny

i like that

just read they've proposed to increase the toll for the G. Washington Bridge NY / NJ to $17...!

Good God I would swim first! I won't even pay the 85 baht to take the Don Muang tollway from Din Daeng to Rangsit. If someone told me I had to pay $17 I think I'd cause a multi car pile up so nobody could use it. That'd teach 'em.

[thepanom]

Nice thread!

We (Thai wife) live in California, but plan to retire to Thailand in a few years so these comments are good.

We visit over in Thailand each year for 3 weeks, but realize visiting, and living, are different. Our ultimate goal will not be BKK. My wife is from the Cha Am area which is more expensive than most, but less than BKK.

My observations for the 2 satang it's worth

I had lunch today with a client at a favorite mom and pop Thai restaurant. Two dishes, and a Thai iced tea for him and the total bill with tip was $21. I live about 17 miles from Los Angeles and there are loads of great Asian restaurants here, but costly. Our lunch spot is on the very low side of the price scale.

I would also miss the Mexican street food, four small tacos for $5.99

I mostly stay away from fast food, but the "combo meals" that have a burger/sandwich, fries and soda are around $5.50 - $7.00

Good food available at the markets, and if you shop there are good deals. We do a lot of shopping at the Asian markets. Prices can be cheaper than mainstream markets, but quality can be different.

Housing here in Southern California has dropped a lot, but still expensive. A 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo in a decent area would be ~$250,000

rent for the same place around $1600+. If you own then 1.25% of your purchase price is your yearly tax.

I do realize service is generally ahead here, but being pretty easy going, personally not a big problem.

Again I have not spent more than 3 weeks in Thailand at a time, so when we do go we are planning on having enough of a safety valve to return, but the costs to me seem to be pretty much lower in Thailand, if you don't need western foods constantly.

But I'm here to learn!!

You call Cha-am expensive, well mabey if you stay on the beach road, I can have Thai dinner for two person incl. beer in arroy or mums restaurant in Cha-am both are nice restaurants, and I will pay between 200 and 250 baht.

[jackdawson]

USA better

that's funny

i like that

just read they've proposed to increase the toll for the G. Washington Bridge NY / NJ to $17...!

I would swim first!

i'll bring the goggles and flippers

[chops]

As a Brit who lives in America and has also lived in Thailand , i can tell you that all 3 places have there upsides and downsides to boot , i think the only beneficial part to living in Thailand would be if i was an older gentleman that did not want to see my money get wasted in a nursing home but being of working age then i would never live there !

i think it offers nothing other then a great holiday destination 3 weeks then home would be sufficient .

i have really come to love America been here 5 years now and feel it is my home i get to work and play , own a home in my name and get treated great by Americans, there's not a double price for me and to be perfectly honest i get a huge cultural pass here . Before i came to live here i had a perception that Americans were general loudmouths but you could not be further from the truth especially here in the great pacific northwest GIVE ME AMERICA ANY DAY OVER THAILAND only downside to here is that work is your life but that's coming from someone born in a socialist country so i could be wrong there!

:sleepy:

[Awohalitsiktoli]

I would also miss the Mexican street food, four small tacos for $5.99

I mostly stay away from fast food, but the "combo meals" that have a burger/sandwich, fries and soda are around $5.50 - $7.00

I too miss my Mexican street food coming from So. Cal and living in Thailand, but when I'm in the U.S., I miss my Thai street food. 100thb (3.33$) nets me a couple of dishes and rice. Much healthier fare too.

But don't get me wrong, I'm due for my annual U.S. trip and my first stop will be for a chile verde burrito at quite a good Mexican restaurant at Southwest's terminal 1-LAX. Looking forward to that.............

Very interesting thread and thanks to the OP for posting (it has really been boring around here lately). Some quick responses to what the OP said: Service is truly far superior in the USA. No, it has nothing to do with whether you speak Thai; I speak Thai and the service in Thailand is still bad at best. Healthier food in the USA? Well, it certainly is cleaner and will rarely make you sick, but you can put on calories eating American food. I love Asian restaurants in the USA and find the food far superior to what is served in Thailand (they tend to use better ingredients in the USA). Driving is fantastic compared to Thailand, almost no comparison. Shopping is far superior in the USA, especially if you want quality. And the environment is certainly much cleaner in the USA (most parts of it). Of course, you do have smog problems in some of the major cities, but nothing like Bangkok. Interesting that you said "exotic and captures your heart" and "sense of danger," because I felt all of those things when I first came here. But not danger (which I feel now), back then I felt like it was simply exotic and interesting and expats were sort of living on the edge of something interesting. All of that has changed now. I can't wait to leave this dump. There are a few places I would consider living in the USA, but my dream place is closer to South America. Good luck! You can watch the Thai ship sink from a distance But, of course, the USA ship needs a makeover.