Why Do I Live In Thailand?/Why Do I Not Live In My Birth Country?

[BoonToong]

There have been many threads about why people particularly love, or hate, living in Thailand.

For me there are several positive reasons for living here; Thai Massage, food, great people, Buddhism, lack of violence/confrontation, to name but a few.

I also in the past few days saw some news clippings that made me glad that I am no longer in the UK, the place where I was (mostly) raised:

http://www.telegraph...out-checks.html (border security almost non-existent)

http://www.telegraph...6000-bonus.html (Civil Servants given huge bonuses)

Anyone else got any good reasons why they are glad they are not in their 'own' country? (Political asylum seekers need not reply).

[Semper]

The relaxed traffic.

[bendix]

The friendly, intellectually challenging and sweet-smelling expat community.

[AlexDorneles]

"More than 500,000 people were allowed into Britain unchecked due to the repeated suspension of vital checks, opening up an “unacceptable” breach in the country’s defences against terrorists and criminals, an official investigation has found."

Yes, Thailand's border is a whole lot more secured than UK and there are no terrorrists and criminals here. This OP has to be a joking

[bendix]

"More than 500,000 people were allowed into Britain unchecked due to the repeated suspension of vital checks, opening up an “unacceptable” breach in the country’s defences against terrorists and criminals, an official investigation has found."

Yes, Thailand's border is a whole lot more secured than UK and there are no terrorrists and criminals here. This OP has to be a joking

Sadly they're not, otherwise they'd keep out the tens of thousands of low value chavvish foreigners who wander around acting like they're better than the locals.

That's what you mean, isnt it?

[villagefarang]

Perhaps my view has something to do with it.

[AlexDorneles]

No, I meant how can you say you are glad to be here because UK is not protecting its borders when they had some terrorists thowing bombs around a week ago. That's all.

[GuestHouse]

It seems the OP has been away from home long enough to forget what part public debate plays in a functioning democracy. Or perhaps he's missed the point that the two points he has linked into are very high on the public agenda, are being widely debated and are being dealt with.

We can compare this with Thailand where the news of incompetence or corruption seldom gets out and when it does it is simply added to the the rolling list, in the news today, forgotten about tomorrow while nothing at all changes.

As for the lack of violence/confrontation in Thai society - Yeh right!

[flying]

Perhaps my view has something to do with it.

a picture is worth a thousand words

[bendix]

No, I meant how can you say you are glad to be here because UK is not protecting its borders when they had some terrorists thowing bombs around a week ago. That's all.

Can you name a country that doesn't have terrorists or bombers in it, or - at best - the potential to have terrorists or bombers in it?

[AlexDorneles]

Exactly. So why he is glad to be in Thailand over UK for this exact reason seems imcomprehesible to me.

[GreenSnapper]

For me there are several positive reasons for living here; Thai Massage, food, great people, Buddhism, lack of violence/confrontation, to name but a few.

Let's see:

Thai massage - mostly not professional, can do some harm.

Food - good indeed. But also lots of junkfood and bad hygiene.

Great people - much nicer people in almost all SE Asian contries.

Buddhism - don't care.

Lack of violence - you are joking, no?

But you forgot one point:

The Thai government doesn't confiscate half of my income to give it to lazy local and migrant population.

No socialism and no PC. This makes life much better.

[AlexDorneles]

The number one reason most expats are here is simply because it is cheap. Warm weather, pretty woman, friendly people are secondary.

[GuestHouse]

No, I meant how can you say you are glad to be here because UK is not protecting its borders when they had some terrorists thowing bombs around a week ago. That's all.

Can you name a country that doesn't have terrorists or bombers in it, or - at best - the potential to have terrorists or bombers in it?

Yes but it is difficult to find one where the government objects to warnings being given of terrorist attacks (which turned out to be correct) .

The OP mentioned the failings of the UK Boarder Agency, a shambles at the top of the political/public agenda which is being dealt with.

Meanwhile it would seem that the international agencies monitoring terrorism have more idea of the movements of terrorists in and out of Thailand and what they get up to while in Thailand than the Thai authorities do.

Given the ranting and raving from the Thai Government when the US State Department performed its duty and gave warnings to US citizens and businesss in Thailand (that turned out to be correct) I suspect it doesn't matter if the Thai government knows what foreign terrorists are doing in Thailand, they wouldn't tell anyone.

That the usual members of the Saffron Tinted Spectacles Brigade also joined in denying reports of terrorism is not a surprise at all.

[bendix]

No, I meant how can you say you are glad to be here because UK is not protecting its borders when they had some terrorists thowing bombs around a week ago. That's all.

Can you name a country that doesn't have terrorists or bombers in it, or - at best - the potential to have terrorists or bombers in it?

Yes but it is difficult to find one where the government objects to warnings being given of terrorist attacks (which turned out to be correct) .

The OP mentioned the failings of the UK Boarder Agency, a shambles at the top of the political/public agenda which is being dealt with.

Meanwhile it would seem that the international agencies monitoring terrorism have more idea of the movements of terrorists in and out of Thailand and what they get up to while in Thailand than the Thai authorities do.

Given the ranting and raving from the Thai Government when the US State Department performed its duty and gave warnings to US citizens and businesss in Thailand (that turned out to be correct) I suspect it doesn't matter if the Thai government knows what foreign terrorists are doing in Thailand, they wouldn't tell anyone.

That the usual members of the Saffron Tinted Spectacles Brigade also joined in denying reports of terrorism is not a surprise at all.

So we're agreed then. The Thai authorities are as equally inept at knowing which terrorists are in the country as the UK and US authorities, the latter of whom, if my memory serves me right, ignored numerous explicit warning signals about Atta and his gang before 9/11.

[rgs2001uk]

No, I meant how can you say you are glad to be here because UK is not protecting its borders when they had some terrorists thowing bombs around a week ago. That's all.

Can you name a country that doesn't have terrorists or bombers in it, or - at best - the potential to have terrorists or bombers in it?

Can you name a country that would allow this to happen?

No doubt we can expect an appeal to the European court of Human Rights, no doubt a nice payout from the UK taxpayers for infringing his human rights, etc etc.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/abu-qatada-released-imminently-112839051.html

[bendix]

No, I meant how can you say you are glad to be here because UK is not protecting its borders when they had some terrorists thowing bombs around a week ago. That's all.

Can you name a country that doesn't have terrorists or bombers in it, or - at best - the potential to have terrorists or bombers in it?

Can you name a country that would allow this to happen?

No doubt we can expect an appeal to the European court of Human Rights, no doubt a nice payout from the UK taxpayers for infringing his human rights, etc etc.

http://uk.news.yahoo...-112839051.html

I know what you mean.

It's exactly that poncy political correctness that made me left the UK.

[AlexDorneles]

The "intelectually challenged" always wins.

[GuestHouse]

So we're agreed then. The Thai authorities are as equally inept at knowing which terrorists are in the country as the UK and US authorities, the latter of whom, if my memory serves me right, ignored numerous explicit warning signals about Atta and his gang before 9/11.

No we are not agreed.

In the first instance the Thai government has demonstrated that they act to keep information of terrorist threats from the public/press, they believe that a statement the problem will be 'fixed by Friday' is an acceptable response, they go into a fizzy fit when other governments perform their duty by warning their own citizens of the dangers in Thailand and it now seems the there are real questions that need to be answered on where these terrorists are getting their explosives from.

To compare this to the failings in the US pre 911 is ridiculous.

The attacks of 911 have no prior comparison.

Failings to pick up warnings

Failing to understand an attack the like of which had never taken place.

Come on Bendix you can do better than this I know.

[GuestHouse]

Incidentally not just terrorist threats.

Any news that is seen to damage Thailand's image, cause loss of face or might damage business is hidden in the Land of Smiles.

[bendix]

So we're agreed then. The Thai authorities are as equally inept at knowing which terrorists are in the country as the UK and US authorities, the latter of whom, if my memory serves me right, ignored numerous explicit warning signals about Atta and his gang before 9/11.

No we are not agreed.

In the first instance the Thai government has demonstrated that they act to keep information of terrorist threats from the public/press, they believe that a statement the problem will be 'fixed by Friday' is an acceptable response, they go into a fizzy fit when other governments perform their duty by warning their own citizens of the dangers in Thailand and it now seems the there are real questions that need to be answered on where these terrorists are getting their explosives from.

To compare this to the failings in the US pre 911 is ridiculous.

The attacks of 911 have no prior comparison.

Failings to pick up warnings

Failing to understand an attack the like of which had never taken place.

Come on Bendix you can do better than this I know.

OK. Let's do a deal. You show me evidence of how the Thai government kept information of terrorist threats from the press and public (which is a weird proposition because in the same post as making this claim you openly state that the US government issued warnings, and this was clearly in the press).

In return, I'll refer you to the August 6 memo from the CIA to the Bush administration warning of plans for a substantial terrorist attack on US soil involving hijacked planes.

Deal?

[chops]

I came here for the women.

Seriously, I now have a slim and young Thai wife who cooks, cleans, does the laundry and gives me massages daily. Could I have found that back in the US? Probably not.

Matter of fact, I never even had a gf there.

[xoxman]

The number one reason most expats are here is simply because it is cheap. Warm weather, pretty woman, friendly people are secondary.

you put in a nutshell

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[Sing_Sling]

My work brought me to SEAsia . . . and I love the weather. Hot, humid - always.

I prefer to go to the cold when I feel the need instead of the cold coming to me.

[ludditeman]

Come on guys fess up,

We are all here because we enjoy sex with much younger women persons (edited for gay guys).

No other reason, just a lot of old guys trying to hide what they are really here for.

[inthepink]

It seems the OP has been away from home long enough to forget what part public debate plays in a functioning democracy. Or perhaps he's missed the point that the two points he has linked into are very high on the public agenda, are being widely debated and are being dealt with.

We can compare this with Thailand where the news of incompetence or corruption seldom gets out and when it does it is simply added to the the rolling list, in the news today, forgotten about tomorrow while nothing at all changes.

As for the lack of violence/confrontation in Thai society - Yeh right!

If news of corruption and incompetence rarely gets out in Thailand then how are you aware of it? Are you privy to sensitive information that the rest of us are not?

[bendix]

It seems the OP has been away from home long enough to forget what part public debate plays in a functioning democracy. Or perhaps he's missed the point that the two points he has linked into are very high on the public agenda, are being widely debated and are being dealt with.

We can compare this with Thailand where the news of incompetence or corruption seldom gets out and when it does it is simply added to the the rolling list, in the news today, forgotten about tomorrow while nothing at all changes.

As for the lack of violence/confrontation in Thai society - Yeh right!

If news of corruption and incompetence rarely gets out in Thailand then how are you aware of it? Are you privy to sensitive information that the rest of us are not?

Not to mention the terrorist threats that the government has kept from the people and media, yet US warnings and travel alerts are clearly and loudly published in the media in Thailand.

It's all very strange.

[Sing_Sling]

Come on guys fess up,

We are all here because we enjoy sex with much younger women persons (edited for gay guys).

No other reason, just a lot of old guys trying to hide what they are really here for.

Umm . . . no. Neither old nor a whore-monger, sorry to burst your bubble. Working and happily married with children (no, my wife isn't Thai)

[BoonToong]

No, I meant how can you say you are glad to be here because UK is not protecting its borders when they had some terrorists thowing bombs around a week ago. That's all.

Methinks it went right over your head.........

[ludditeman]

Come on guys fess up,

We are all here because we enjoy sex with much younger women persons (edited for gay guys).

No other reason, just a lot of old guys trying to hide what they are really here for.

Umm . . . no. Neither old nor a whore-monger, sorry to burst your bubble. Working and happily married with children (no, my wife isn't Thai)

Come on, you know you are in a very small minority.