I can fully relate to the OP and kind of ended up feeling that way after nearly 8 years of living and working in Thailand...when I first started out, I was very much in the camp of 'I could never live back there' when anyone mentioned home but soon realised that those who banged that drum were mainly running away from something/had burned their bridges and had accepted that whatever they were doing was good enough for them...to live on a tight budget is not through choice, that situation has been forced upon you.

But to say enough is enough and return back home and start again takes a brave person, I see many that started out well and hit a rough spot and just continued to diminish further to the point they completely lost it along with their morals and integrity...they became cheats-liars and when cornered about their actions played the victims...it was a wake up seeing that and very sad to witness.

After returning from my 8 year stint it took me a good year to finally settle back into life and work here, that is something that scares the crap out of people and I can understand why....

But after returning from a holiday with the missus back to Thailand from nearly a 2 year break I can say that I much prefer the place as a visiting tourist and when I posed the question to her she agreed...she loves her country-family-food carts and ease of living but with a few more satang in her pocket than we would have if both living out there...even the hot and humid weather tires you after a while and it's nice to get a lung full of clean air on a brisk morning and slip a jacket on when going out for the evening and not be wiping the swaet off your brow....

Then again I have lived it so maybe I have had my fill....having never lived it I can understand the draw to say yes I would be prepared to live in a cheap room, eat street food or a make do with a pot noodle as my meal or spend my nights drinking outside a 7-11....

I commend the OP on his well thought out views on living in Thailand. I think views differ mainly because everything is in comparison to what we have experienced before coming to LOS. The main attractions of Thailand for me are the lower cost of being able to live the high life and the fact that I have a strong preference towards the looks and cultural backgrounds of certain Asian women. The weather, noise and air pollution and sanitation however leave much to be desired in comparison to the beautiful area where I am from in the US. I am sure that my views might be somewhat different if I came from other parts of the world. For me personally, Thailand is a wonderful place to temporarily live or spend my time but the fact is that I am not a Thai wannabe and am very happy with who I am and will spend the majority of my life back in my homeland.

erm...have you never left bangkok or where ever you are stationed with that 'air polution' in thailand?? There are 1000s of remote areas in thailand to live with fresh air...much cleaner then most places in the US. lol don't judge thailand on a few places.

Thailand is not as wonderful as you think it is when you first arrive. Nor is it as bad as some of the times in the phase after that when you realise many things aren't as they seemed.

Many of the most useful lessons you learn in Thailand are about yourself

I've seen literally hundreds of people move here and go home for a variety of reasons. The one important thing I tell them is "don't let the door hit you on the way out". LOL

There have been many well thought out replies to this topic, and too many to quote them all. I congratulate all of you. There hasn't even been any taunting and bickering. And, all the varied replies just confirms what I keep saying... Thailand treats us all in her own way. It just depends on our personal interests and what we enjoy, as to how we accept the highs and lows of being here. And, it DOES affect us all.

When I read other's posts on this forum, it would seem the thing about Thailand that is so great is that the women are poor and desperate. That seems the over whelming theme of Thai Visa.

Sorry for a moment there I thought you were talking about some of the farang I have seen wandering these shores.

Poor and desperate sums them up.

Lived in Thailand for over 3 years and I am coming back. I can see your points xandrue but I have had a somewhat different experience. While I agree that this country is for Thais and they do things for Thais first, I haven't felt left out. I have tried, and succeeded in my opinion, to integrate into Thai society. Now, I don't think i have become Thai. All i am is some farang who can speak halfway decent Thai and likes some similar things. But 95% of the time I have felt welcome. only in the tourist islands like Phuket have I felt like little more than a walking wallet.

But everyone has a place where they fit in best, and for some it's here and others it's not. I hope you find the best place for yourself and enjoy your visits back here.