The Phases Of A Farang In Thailand - Stuck On 3Rd Phase - 1-2 Months

[californiabeachboy]

I have been coming to Thailand for a couple of years now, but I am stuck on the third phase..

My first time was for 10 days. Nice warm evenings, very inexpensive, and the Thai woman all thought I was a very handsome man. I could live here.

My second time/phase was for a bit longer (three weeks). Still cheap, still a handsome man, but wow, it sure is hot here. But still, so cheap, maybe I could live here.

My third phase,,,, wait a minute, Iowa is cheap too, but I don't want to live there (apologies to anyone here from Iowa).

After jumping through a few hoops, I just received my retirement visa, and I am making my plans for my next visit. But the strange thing is, even though I can spend as much time there as I want, I still only want to spend a couple of months there. Those damm motorcyclists flying by my ear on the sidewalk, and oh that shocking humidity!!

The point of this is that I would like to know there are others out there who can spend as much time as they want in Thailand, but still only want to spend a few months there. Are there TV people who lived there for a while and then said "great time, I am going back home!"

Cheers.

[thenervoussurgeon]

Great time,i never want to go home.

[captadam]

Im here for 10 yrs and im enjoying evety moment being here.

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Thaivisa Connect App

[yermanee]

Go to the home country or another european country for short holidays at least twice a year.

In some cases fairly brutal reality checks, in other at least keeping some perspective.

Yermanee

[giddyup]

Been here three years now, have to reason to go back to Australia, Thailand is home for me now.

[Sayonarax]

5555.. Are there people who said "Great time, im going back home." They all say it, but never do. Your retiring come try something new.

BTW the people who do go back, tend to be the broke ones. (They tend to live in Pattaya with all the other bottom feeders)

You'll adjust to the weather don't worry, then you can sit in the back of the car and complain the A/C on 26c is cold

[Sayonarax]

Been here three years now, have to reason to go back to Australia, Thailand is home for me now.

There are some things i miss. Nature, Cleanliness, painted buildings and M1

Steak, snags, dominos and local fish shop hamburgers.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Sayonarax

[samran]

Thailand is like the island on that series 'Lost'. Strange, mysterious and in many cases life threatening. You spend all your time wanting to get off, only to realise once off that you'll do anything to get back.

[londoedan]

(They tend to live in Pattaya with all the other bottom feeders)

Couldn't resist could you - d1ck-head.

[ggold]

(They tend to live in Pattaya with all the other bottom feeders)

Couldn't resist could you - d1ck-head.

Sent from my GT-P6200 using Thaivisa Connect App

But he isn't wrong. Pattaya is the pits.

[ggold]

(They tend to live in Pattaya with all the other bottom feeders)

Couldn't resist could you - d1ck-head.

Sent from my GT-P6200 using Thaivisa Connect App

But he isn't wrong, Pattaya is the pits

Edited August 26, 2012 by ggold

[londoedan]

(They tend to live in Pattaya with all the other bottom feeders)

Couldn't resist could you - d1ck-head.

Sent from my GT-P6200 using Thaivisa Connect App

But he isn't wrong, Pattaya is the pits

So true you've posted it twice !

[CharlieH]

As with most things, location location location, Thailand can be as diverse and varied as you want it to be. Its all a matter of taste and probably finances and others things all thrown into the mix of whats right for the individual.

[simple1]

Been here three years now, have to reason to go back to Australia, Thailand is home for me now.

There are some things i miss. Nature, Cleanliness, painted buildings and M1

Steak, snags, dominos and local fish shop hamburgers.

Re your post #6. Your food tastes sound like a "bottom feeder" diet - do you live in Pattaya?

Edited August 26, 2012 by simple1

[farang000999]

I left Thailand with my wife and child about 18 months ago. We returned to Thailand for about a month and I was fine with leaving again. I am happily married and the US just has so very much to offer. I love all the open land and road with almost zero motorcycles. Traffic laws. I love the manicured lawns and fresh air. BBQ's on a summer day. Real milk. Delicious fat beef ribeye and ny strip steaks. Thailand is OK and all but it really does not come close. It's amazing, before I came to Thailand I never knew how happy it would make me to have traffic laws.

Imho, many of the people on this forum are older gentleman and they can't get something in their home country and that something is very important to their happiness and that something is very cheap and very available in Thailand and thus they really really really love Thailand.

[Jingthing]

Lots of people are repatriating all the time for a variety of reasons.

Reading the OP, I really wonder why anyone would bother getting a retirement visa when you only want to stay for two months?

[jacktrip]

I can tell you it's more enjoyable if you have the option of going home.

the sensation of being on vacation is euphoric no matter where you are, it's difficult to maintain that state.

3 weeks? if your having doubts that soon, I would be careful.

it also depends where you lived before. I don't hear about many people moving from Paris, Italy or nice us cities and raving about staying in Thailand.

Edited August 26, 2012 by jacktrip

[TommoPhysicist]

You got the phases wrong.

Phase 1

You think all Thai people are wonderful, honest and friendly.

Phase 2

You think all Thai men are rotten to the core, the way they treat the poor Thai ladies.

Phase 3

You wonder why [removed by MiG16]

Edited August 27, 2012 by MiG16
violent remark removed

[Semper]

Great time,i never want to go home.

I am at home.

[Phronesis]

If you need to cocoon yourself from the "otherness" of living in Thailand it is very easy to do so. Hole up at home, turn on the aircon if need be, cook some Farang food from Tesco, and watch a movie or show on one of the many Farang cable channels.

After a day or two of recluse therapy your batteries will be recharged and you will be ready to head back out into the human circus.

[Naam]

If you need to cocoon yourself from the "otherness" of living in Thailand it is very easy to do so. Hole up at home, turn on the aircon if need be, cook some Farang food from Tesco, and watch a movie or show on one of the many Farang cable channels.

After a day or two of recluse therapy your batteries will be recharged and you will be ready to head back out into the human circus.

some people are not interested to take part in the human circus and live happily in the recluse of their homes.

[Phronesis]

Each of the three phases you describe can be endured with a minimum of fuss provided that you keep yourself appropriately medicated:

Phase 1

• Viagra
  
• Vitamin B
  
• Paracetamol
  

Phase 2

• Anapril
  
• Hydrochlorothiazide
  
• Asprin
  

Phase 3

• Prozac
  
• Adderall
  
• Dexamethasone
  

[yermanee]

If you need to cocoon yourself from the "otherness" of living in Thailand it is very easy to do so. Hole up at home, turn on the aircon if need be, cook some Farang food from Tesco, and watch a movie or show on one of the many Farang cable channels.

After a day or two of recluse therapy your batteries will be recharged and you will be ready to head back out into the human circus.

some people are not interested to take part in the human circus and live happily in the recluse of their homes.

Agree.

However Phronesis farang food from Tesco ? No thanks. There are much better choices.

Yermanee

[Beetlejuice]

Many of us, including myself, have completely moved to Thailand, mind, body and soul, meaning; sold up in the home countries, invested all they have over here, have pets, have families that are firmly established into Thai society and now totally committed with virtually no chance of ever being able to return to the home lands.

For some of us there can be no fourth phase that is the option to go back home and start again. So it`s a case of like it or lump it, my choice and far too late now to change at my age, but I have no regrets.

Here is something worth considering, especially for the older people: that once you give up everything back home, than there is hardly any chance of being able to reverse the process and you are at the point of no return.

So if you decide to move here because you like it, you had better be certain that you really like it before jumping in at the deep end, because Thailand`s not for everyone and there is a world of difference between being on holiday and living here full time.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Beetlejuice

[Jingthing]

If you've got a passport, funds for an air ticket, can physically get on the airplane, some funds to start a new life and/or some connections from back home, why couldn't you go back? I get that it gets harder over time and it's something that most long term expats consider with horror, but not sure that it is so often impossible. Hard, yes.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Jingthing

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

If you've got a passport, funds for an air ticket, can physically get on the airplane, some funds to start a new life and/or some connections from back home, why couldn't you go back? I get that it gets harder over time and it's something that most long term expats consider with horror, but not sure that it is so often impossible. Hard, yes.

My wife and I will be returning to Thailand from the US in about three weeks, after a 4 month stay. I truly hate the trip, it takes 33 hours from the time we leave one house to the time we arrive in the other house. It is a very tiring and wearing trip. Customs don't help as they treat everyone as criminals. I can remember when travel (flying) was fun. We do enjoy the time in both places but not sure about that trip twice a year (coming and going).

[siampreggers]

After jumping through a few hoops, I just received my retirement visa, and I am making my plans for my next visit. But the strange thing is, even though I can spend as much time there as I want, I still only want to spend a couple of months there.

Europe - March - September.

Thailand - October - February.

[californiabeachboy]

Thanks for the responses.

I think there are two things I am stuck on. One is the weather, often discussed here. I notice that many Westerners living in Thailand come from Britain and Northern European Countries, and I can understand that. If I had a choice between lousy cold weather and lousy hot weather I would choose lousy hot weather every time. In my travels I haven't come across nearly as many Southern Europeans making their home in Thailand (but I have met quite a few Aussies, so maybe that theory has a flaw)

But as others have said, I can deal with the weather. The bigger problem for me is the lack of rules, or the lack of enforcement of the rules. From reading these forums, I think many come to Thailand because they like that. My neighbor here in the US thinks the Western countries are becoming a "nanny" society - trying to protect everyone from everything. But I like traffic laws and leash laws (I can't ride my bike in Thailand because a pack of soi dogs will be on me in a matter of minutes - good for the speedwork though).

I don't want this to sound like an anti-Thailand rant, there are many things I love about Thailand - I have found the people to be warm and friendly, the street food the best in the world, and I have never been asked for money by the police.

But for the moment I think I am a short-timer. That could change, if I meet a sweet, kind-hearted, Thai woman who can take care of me in my advanced years, which is, I believe, how many Westerners ended up living in Thailand.

[Banzai99]

Nearly every guy that I have met over the years would prefer to stay in Thailand rather than the UK, the ones that can't stay in Thailand are generally unable to stay for financial reasons.

The guys I have known who lived in Thailand and have left Thailand, in general, had no choice, again, financial reasons.

Thailand is a great country when you have money, but it's no country to be skint in.

[overherebc]

If you've got a passport, funds for an air ticket, can physically get on the airplane, some funds to start a new life and/or some connections from back home, why couldn't you go back? I get that it gets harder over time and it's something that most long term expats consider with horror, but not sure that it is so often impossible. Hard, yes.

Must agree with you, when I came to Thailand at first the girls made it very hard for me.

True about having the ability to get out now and then, either back home for a break or another country for a little while just to get the batteries re-charged as they say.

I did a lot of travelling when I was younger and somehow just kind of drifted into living in Thailand when I got a bit longer in the tooth.

Still got the wherewithal to upsticks and go back but it's only a background insurance policy, but nice to have.