Don't You People Need A Break From Thailand?

[tartempion]

Don't you people need a break from Thailand?

I do. 5 Months is the maximum I can stand.

I worked in North America, Western Europe, The Middle East and Asia.

Retired at 55 11years ago and decided for Thailand, you all know why: the weather (30C+ for 300 days/year at least) and the women.

Not for the cheap cost of living, I blow that away by flying business class to where I come from 2x year

I considered South of France or Portugal, but it still gets sub 10C 6 months/year, Africa no Thanks, Florida or California: not really my cup of tea.

Thus next Monday I'll be on my way back where I come from, can't name it home, my home is here in Issaan.

Landing at 15h, getting to my safe house where the heating is on already I was told

Next hitting a supermarket to replenish the fridge with basic food: potatoes, onions, vegs, real butter, cheese (What about some Camenbert au lait cru, Bleu d'Auvergne, Brie, old Amsterdammer etc), then to the delicatessen shop 4kms from my place where they have lots of fabulous food (meats,cold cuts and real bread)

Around 18h to a restaurant ordering Dutch Zeeland mussels with Belgian fries (the only real fries on the planet)

Paris is 3h away, Frankfurt 4h, it's magnificent country, hundreds of beautiful villages whilst I have never seen a nice village or town in Thailand, mai mee, no have.

See the Taunus near Frankfurt, the Westerwald near Koln, the Black Forest near Freiburg, the forests near Trier, Alsace and Lorraine with the Vosges mountains, ah ah...

I have a weekend planned at the Kukuoka Golf resort near Luxemburg town, a beautiful area with lots of space to walk or bicycle around.

An other at St Dizier, a small French town with the lake Du Der near by, late October ideal to see up to 50k of cranes resting a few days on their migration route, or Bernache ducks or other flying birds.

I have a birthday dinner planned at a Brussels Greek restaurant, dreaming of a Mezze for a starter and medaillons d'agneau as main dish.

Don't tell me Bangkok has a Greek restaurant, last year in May I was invited at the best Greek Montreal restaurant, I gave then zero on quality, bah.

After two weeks in Europe I will begin missing Thailand, don't ask me why.

Certainly not for the good food. I am fed up with the local Thai food, both in the only village "restaurant" as in nearby Udon Thani.

No more "moo kata" for me, the two places at the nearby amphur have been going downhill, no more fish, no more chicken, only low quality fat porc.

I was in Phuke-it lsat week for a week and was not impressed with thai food there neather, it was just OK, as holiday food.

Don't praise Thai quality of goods, 95% of what you buy here is rubbish, that's why it's cheap anyway, same goes for service.

I recently bought a Nissan Teana 2.5 at 1.5 million and you don't want to hear what happened from order to delivery, it was a disgrace again.

I do have a few things at home which haven't broken yet, to the credit of Thailand, this country deserves some.

As for the ridiculous laws and politicians, bribes at all levels (I don't need to pay the employees at home base for a paper proving I am still alive, or 2x500 baht for a residence paper for renewing my drivers license), people driving on the wrong side of the road, without lights, without drivers license, without helmet, police collecting money like buying eggs at the market from the above motorbike drivers.

Seriously, I don't believe in politicians anywhere in the world, but Thailand is worse.

A few days more supporting 30C+ and I'll cool off in all senses of the word

I'll be back on time for Loy Kratong and when winter in Europe will be over it will be time to buy an other business class ticket back, nostalgia hitting hard.

I have a country man living nearby who has not left Thailand for the since he got here 11 years ago, he says he does not miss anything really, he cooks a lot at home to compensate the Thai food, but so do I.

No way I would want to stay here for 365 days without loosing my sanity.

What about you?

[Ulysses G.]

"Don't you people need a break from Thailand?"

No, not really.

[WilliaminBKK]

I have the fondest memories of my two homelands, England and Canada. The only time I really have that urge you're feeling is at Christmas.

I've never cared about politics here or anywhere, so I don't fuss too much over things I have no control over & yes I do vote.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday (food sounds yum yum) home is where the heart is and mine is here.

[phuturatica]

I think it becomes like home eventually and you don't really feel the need to have a break.

I'm going home for 2 weeks in the UK over Christmas and I'm super looking forward to spending Christmas with my family. But I wouldn't call it 'a break' - I don't think I need a break from Thailand just yet.

[Geekfreaklover]

_{It's never to late to learn the language. Being able to talk and understand what is going on around you is nice.}

_{If I lived in Isaan I would need regular breaks.}

_{It would nice travel around the world a lot as you seem to be doing. Enjoy it!}

[chris2004]

Yes we would all go business class and eat at the best French restaurants and ski in St Moritz if we had big money. Some don't.

[Shot]

If you go easy on the cheese, butter and cold cuts, you can take the “Fat” out of “Ugly Fat Farang” It does sound yummy though.

You forgot to mention the motorbikes on the sidewalk doing 40.

[payak]

forgive me if im wrong but are you saying the thai food in thailand is not as good as the thai food in europe.

[Pormax]

It is all a state of mind.

I am happy here and no intention of going back home. Nowhere is or will ever be perfect.

But if I do get to not like, I can go.

[Berkshire]

"Seriously, I don't believe in politicians anywhere in the world, but Thailand is worse."

I'm sorry OP, but you must not be real familiar with the Republican party of the USA.

[payak]

"Seriously, I don't believe in politicians anywhere in the world, but Thailand is worse."

I'm sorry OP, but you must not be real familiar with the Republican party of the USA.

syria has a good government i believe.

[Berkshire]

"Seriously, I don't believe in politicians anywhere in the world, but Thailand is worse."

I'm sorry OP, but you must not be real familiar with the Republican party of the USA.

syria has a good government i believe.

LOL. Not to mention Iran, Somalia, Russia, Greece, Italy, Venezuela, China, etc.....the OP seems to have an unreasonably anti-Thai point of view.

[Ulysses G.]

The Obama campaign pretty much accused Romney of killing a woman by somehow giving her cancer and also not paying taxes for 10 years when he did. On top of that, they bought the Hispanic vote by giving amnesty to illegal aliens and the gay vote by endorsing same-sex marriage after Obama claimed to be agianst it for years. Politicians in Thailand are not that special.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[mauGR1]

More than a break from Thailand, i need a break from Koh Chang..All these coconut trees and beaches.it can be boring after a while..

Normally after a week i miss my little home on the island.

[stoneyboy]

Many people can't go home,they are literally stuck here scraping by and merely existing.

[samran]

I certianly needed a bit of decompress time from Thailand. I think most people who aren't born there and didn't grow up there need a few 'mental health days' outside of LOS. Some longer.

Nothing wrong with it, and for most, you'll soon realise you are itching to get back.

Don't know how you blokes do it up in the sticks though. BKK is a nice balance for me most of the time.

[DP25]

I couldn't stand to live in some of those desolate Isaan villages you see farang move to with their wives to begin with. If I wanted that I could have moved to a trailer park in West Virginia. The rest of the country, no I don't need a break.

[Berkshire]

I certianly needed a bit of decompress time from Thailand. I think most people who aren't born there and didn't grow up there need a few 'mental health days' outside of LOS. Some longer.

Nothing wrong with it, and for most, you'll soon realise you are itching to get back.

Don't know how you blokes do it up in the sticks though. BKK is a nice balance for me most of the time.

Every time I leave Thailand for a visit to the states (at least once a year)--even if for a short time--I'm itching to come back to the LOS.

[ignis]

Likewise I am happy here and no intention of going back to where I was born, if wanting a change for a few days out of Thailand then 1 hour or so can be in KL or Hanoi, and in only 4 hours can be in Australia...

Remember well one year being fed up with Portugal in August [live and worked there for 13 years] going to Madrid in Spain, much hotter, had no idea people from Madrid closed up for August to go on Holiday as so hot and humid in Madrid in August....... Only Problem with Portugal was when they joined the EU.

[Shot]

"Seriously, I don't believe in politicians anywhere in the world, but Thailand is worse."

I'm sorry OP, but you must not be real familiar with the Republican party of the USA.

"Seriously, I don't believe in politicians anywhere in the world, but Thailand is worse."

I'm sorry OP, but you must not be real familiar with the Republican Democratic party of the USA.

[ignis]

Don't know how you blokes do it up in the sticks though. BKK is a nice balance for me most of the time.

Everyone is different, I would never have moved here unless I found a place out in the sticks, I am sure if I lived in BKK would need a break away every 3 months., out in the sticks the few days break is every 3 years.

There again I have only lived in a City for just under 4 years [berlin] out of 62 years, used to pop over to the East every 2 weeks or so.

[Lancelot]

I certianly needed a bit of decompress time from Thailand. I think most people who aren't born there and didn't grow up there need a few 'mental health days' outside of LOS. Some longer.

Nothing wrong with it, and for most, you'll soon realise you are itching to get back.

Don't know how you blokes do it up in the sticks though. BKK is a nice balance for me most of the time.

Some of the happiest expats I know are the ones that split their time between Thailand and one or two other "homes."

Variety- the spice of life

[GuestHouse]

I understand the OP entirely - I've spent around 14 of the past 20 years living and working in Thailand, the other 7years that I have been living and working elsewhere have been tremendously rewarding - The mixture (and the luxury of choice) between Thailand and elsewhere is to my mind a wonderful privilege.

Enjoy this freedom to pick and choose, the best of both worlds. Freedom to choose is real freedom.

[GuestHouse]

Oh and ignore Americans members here whinging about the election and political parties back in the states (which of course is absolutely nothing to do with Thailand) - They get wound up like this every election, bitterly protesting that the party they support is being cheated out of election victory but regardless never willing to go back and live there no matter which party wins.

Even if, like yourself, they actually had a choice.

[Mitker]

Same feeling as the OP.

Food is great, weather is great, nature is great, smiles everywhere... but then there comes this moment you only notice the general intellectual void, the widespread corruption and its acceptance/endorsement, the bodies on the roads, the political circus, the money-rule-everything attitude, the expect-able issues of foreseeable but unaddressed problems and the feeling it's not going to improve in a life-time.

That's when I enjoy boarding this outbound aircraft. And soon I realize again how everything is just dead-frozen in Europe and that's the #1 reason I'm in TH (actually it comes second after mi media naranja).

I'd like to pick a mix of both sides but no choice. So swinging in-between is the only option left.

I escape twice a year. To friends, snow, cheese and wine.

[guzzi850m2]

I can't really comment as I work 6 month pr year overseas (2month on/off) so for me it's always nice to be back in LOS.

I just spend almost 6 weeks in Japan (working) and despite the extremely polite locals, beautiful girls/countryside &

everything works, but almost everything is bloody expensive, I was more than happy to return home to the "madness".

I live in Pattaya and are bored of my scull after 5 days in our house in Isaan (wife's) and tell my wife that tomorrow

we will be driving back to civilization or I will kill somebody (joking) just for having something to do.

I forgot to add that on this holiday I will NOT be going on any Japanese restaurants, really feed up with Jap food right now, lol.

Edited September 29, 2012 by guzzi850m2

[GreenSnapper]

Don't you people need a break from Thailand?

Great posting, OP!

I can totally agree.

I don't live in the sticks here, but in BKK. Still I have to get out regularly.

I also fly business to Europe, as economy is total torture, even worse now on A380 with 500 folks. I don't have a home there, so I stay at hotels and rent cars.

Most things back home are of so much higher standards than here. Good foot paths, good nature walks, great public transport.

Supermarkets, food: an average village supermarket in Europe is much better than Villa Market or the crap at BigC and such. The driving is civilized, not like here where a Mercedes tried to run over me just a few days ago. The ruthlesness and inconsideration here sometimes gets me...

I have a few good Thai restaurants in my vicinity, but eating out in Europe is just a joy, everything you mentioned. Good beers (not Heineken), good wines.

But then there is the weather. The next 6 months will be painful in Europe. That is when Thailand can play out its advantages. The women here are pleasant, not narcissistic as back home. The lack of political correctness here, no zealots who try to reeducate you. Thailand has its points.

Yes I do get out regularly. Otherwise I'd get mad. Not always to Europe, but Asia too. A good dinner in Kyoto is quite a difference to eating at Fuji.

[thenervoussurgeon]

I have spent time in Isaan ,i needed a break from it after a couple of days ,back to Pattaya and BKK , now thats something i dont need a break from.

[robblok]

If you go easy on the cheese, butter and cold cuts, you can take the “Fat” out of “Ugly Fat Farang” It does sound yummy though.

You forgot to mention the motorbikes on the sidewalk doing 40.

True being fat is a choice. But some food is so nice to eat. Its a hard choice and takes discipline to stay lean with all those nice choices around.

And no i don't need a break from Thailand, been here 7 years been back just once this is my home.

Edited September 29, 2012 by robblok

[Thaddeus]

If you are happy with yourself, you can be happy anywhere.

The opposite also applies.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Thaddeus