Leaving Thailand After 17 Years - Crazy?

[swissie]

To me Thailand can be a very good place to retire. Not so for a middle-aged Farang, that still feels the desire to be "active" and have part in working/business activities. There are better places for a Farang pursuing this than Thailand. Especially if a good job is waiting back home, as this seems to be the case concerning the OP.

How about very young Farangs trying to make a go of it? Maybe worth a good try, but it appears that countries like Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar would offer better "ground-floor-opportunities" than Thailand. Me thinks.

Cheers.

[Naam]

I left a few months ago and I don't regret it one bit . Earning real money and not having to put up with all the crap that used to piss me off in Thailand. Don't miss it at all . Went back for a holiday to finalise some things and it was a nice holiday and that's the way I want to keep it . I'll probably retire there but to live there right now at this time in my life . Depends how old you are but a lot of people seem to waste the best years of their life there and then one day they wake up at fifty and realise their future is non-existent . IMO you should retire there or go there very young . Between 28-50 , go somewhere else and get a career and money . You can always go back for holidays or retire there in a comfortable position when you're older . Thailand's okay but it's not as great as some people make out .Yes you can have a nice life there but you can do that in many other places too .

You seem to mention money a lot. Is that your only concern. I ask cos met oooooodles of folk who are transfixed by money and nothing else.

i can understand that those who mention "earning real money" want to leave Thailand because they don't face the tax situtation of others who "already have earned real money" and want to stay in Thailand because they hate that the greedy taxman of their home countries would take his share over and over and over again from the proceeds their "hard earned real money" generates every year.

and when they take those, who already have earned real money, to the graveyard or crematorium the taxman is demanding (in my home country) not only 35% of the existing real money as inheritance tax but from the heir over and over and over again his share the remaining 65% real money generates every year.

and guess what... when the heir dies the taxman (or his successor) wants again his 35% inheritance tax as well as...............

and that's why some people stay happily ever after in Thailand and when the urge to see the autumn colours is too much to bear they take a flight, enjoy the autumn colours for a week or ten days, are p*ssed off with the different sh*t they experience together with the autumn colours and take a flight back to Thailand.

[Naam]

I too have just about decided to return to Australia after some 12 years. Must admit I still work fly in fly out so have not been here full time.

Reason for move is pretty simple and clear - we now have a small daughter who is just about to start school. I have looked and looked but in my heart of hearts cannot accept that any schooling here would be comparable to what is available in Australia.

Will keep our house here and hopefully many and regular return visits will satisfy cravings for Leo etc.

good choice!

[Naam]

go somewhere else and get a career

Sounds like fun. Any recommendations?

Yeh, l would like a recommendation too.

you can have my career free of charge Transam. shall i send it as e-mail attachment?

[krisb]

Wish I could say Ive had enough of living in Thailand. Bit jealous.

Its a tough life!

[Naam]

OP: You have not mentioned if you're in a relationship or have children. if you do what are they saying, do they support the the idea of moving to a western country?

Wife and son. Son could join an excellent school. They're both enthusiastic. I'm the one hesitating. Not easy to move a life!

enabling your son (or children) to have a good education is more than any amount of money. the move might not be easy but go for it!

[Pormax]

I think the answer to your question depends on what is one looking for.

The hustle and bustle of the big cities I no longer enjoy, very happy in my rural life. Though maybe perhaps - no definetely, if I was younger, not retired as I am, and had to earn a decent wage for a reasonable standard of living and wanted to make financial plans for retirement I would have to go back to my home country (UK).

The other aspect is the education of your son. Here, unless you have lots of money to pay for private school or your boy has a very high IQ and is hard working in his studies, is the wrong place as the standard generally in the Thai education sytstem leaves a lot of improvement (that's being nice). I believe he will benefit enourmously once he adapts to his new country. So that in itself should be a big motivation for you and your wife.

I would tend to agree that Thailand is more suited to the older person especially if there is no need to work because I would guess besides the poor earnings the hassle factor would be massive..

There are a lot of things here that frustrate and annoy me, but thereagain there are many things in UK that p*sses me off too.

I really like the climate here so that is a big plus for me. Seen enough rain, ice and snow.

Anyway I think in your position you are doing the right thing for the right reasons. But expect some emotional turmoil with the family for a while as it will not be as easy for them as it is will be for you until they make new friends etc.. You will find some 'thorns in the bed of roses' you are looking for, but maybe not as many as you do in Thailand.

Best of luck to you and your family.

[Naam]

I really like the climate here so that is a big plus for me. Seen enough rain, ice and snow.

quite often i wish i was a Brit having lived most of my life with rain and fog and could therefore perhaps appreciate Thailand's climate.

unfortunately the only thing i really hate in Thailand is its climate

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I too have just about decided to return to Australia after some 12 years. Must admit I still work fly in fly out so have not been here full time.

Reason for move is pretty simple and clear - we now have a small daughter who is just about to start school. I have looked and looked but in my heart of hearts cannot accept that any schooling here would be comparable to what is available in Australia.

Will keep our house here and hopefully many and regular return visits will satisfy cravings for Leo etc.

Most admirable sir and you're absolutely right about the quality of schooling here once you get below the top handful of true international schools, which are beyond the budget of 99.9% of Thais and probably an even higher percentage of farang here.

[nong38]

You will get better education and better lifestyle and infrastructure, transport etc on offer in europe but you will pay a heavy price for it.

You can always come back, personally at my time of life I would not consider going back for too long, we all have our priorities. we cannot cherry pick and age and finances are a big consideration.

[meatballs]

I've lived here for about 4 years. Probably not returning to farangland except to visit my aging parents. I would never fit back into farang(american) society anyways. Things are much lower cost along with taxes so there's also a financial reason to stay put.

[McMagus]

The fact that this topic has stayed on topic and been 'civil' indicates to me that it is a question we all deal with in various ways. I'm chasing 64 but still active. My family live in Australia and I've been here for about 8 years. I don't need to work and for me that is part of the reason I will return to Australia. Here, I can't stand the noise, pollution and superficiality of BKK and whilst it's quiet and peaceful up on the farm, not enough to keep me engaged. I need aspects of western culture such as transparency in government and rule of law. I need proper pasta and coffee, film and drama. I need the stimulation that comes from challenging art and writing that has not been censored. Having said that, I also know I will miss aspects of Thai culture too. If I had young children, the Thai education system would worry the hell out of me. It may come to pass that I live half and half... but I know I can never commit 100% to living the rest of my days here.

Good luck with your decision.

[jacktrip]

if cost was not an issue i would be living well in europe somewhere, preferably waterfront. hope this helps answer you question.

[Satcommlee]

I've been here 8 years now and unless I am in a picture similar to the one below, there is no way I'd want to leave Thailand

[transam]

go somewhere else and get a career

Sounds like fun. Any recommendations?

Yeh, l would like a recommendation too.

you can have my career free of charge Transam. shall i send it as e-mail attachment?

Please.

[cyberholz]

The fact that this topic has stayed on topic and been 'civil' indicates to me that it is a question we all deal with in various ways. I'm chasing 64 but still active. My family live in Australia and I've been here for about 8 years. I don't need to work and for me that is part of the reason I will return to Australia. Here, I can't stand the noise, pollution and superficiality of BKK and whilst it's quiet and peaceful up on the farm, not enough to keep me engaged. I need aspects of western culture such as transparency in government and rule of law. I need proper pasta and coffee, film and drama. I need the stimulation that comes from challenging art and writing that has not been censored. Having said that, I also know I will miss aspects of Thai culture too. If I had young children, the Thai education system would worry the hell out of me. It may come to pass that I live half and half... but I know I can never commit 100% to living the rest of my days here.

Good luck with your decision.

You speak my mind, McMagus. It's a quality vs. quantity approach, somehow. Can't deny my own blood! Somehow everything becomes unimportant over here because in the end everything starts looking shallow.

Edited November 4, 2012 by cyberholz

[cyberholz]

I think the answer to your question depends on what is one looking for.

The hustle and bustle of the big cities I no longer enjoy, very happy in my rural life. Though maybe perhaps - no definetely, if I was younger, not retired as I am, and had to earn a decent wage for a reasonable standard of living and wanted to make financial plans for retirement I would have to go back to my home country (UK).

The other aspect is the education of your son. Here, unless you have lots of money to pay for private school or your boy has a very high IQ and is hard working in his studies, is the wrong place as the standard generally in the Thai education sytstem leaves a lot of improvement (that's being nice). I believe he will benefit enourmously once he adapts to his new country. So that in itself should be a big motivation for you and your wife.

I would tend to agree that Thailand is more suited to the older person especially if there is no need to work because I would guess besides the poor earnings the hassle factor would be massive..

There are a lot of things here that frustrate and annoy me, but thereagain there are many things in UK that p*sses me off too.

I really like the climate here so that is a big plus for me. Seen enough rain, ice and snow.

Anyway I think in your position you are doing the right thing for the right reasons. But expect some emotional turmoil with the family for a while as it will not be as easy for them as it is will be for you until they make new friends etc.. You will find some 'thorns in the bed of roses' you are looking for, but maybe not as many as you do in Thailand.

Best of luck to you and your family.

Thank you Pormax, you're probably spot on, we better get ready for some emotional turmoil...

[BigJohnnyBKK]

As a matter of fact don't assume the Thais will be able to handle living overseas, I've seem more than a few marriages break down that way, some just can't handle it, metaphors of an orchid being taken out of the hothouse come to mind. . .

[ttelise]

I think (nearly) everyone who has lived in Thailand for a very long time has had similar feelings as you are facing now.

I've had them and still experience times when I'm thinking " Why do I put up with all this sh*t ".

Then I know it's time for a reality check in the home country and it doesn't take long to realize that its a different kind of sh*t, but sh*t nevertheless.

The craving for local food from your past quickly turns to " Have I been longing for this ? "

The only season that I miss sometimes is autumn for it's colors and nostalgic feeling.

Neil Diamond said it best :

L.A.'s fine but it ain't home, New York's home but it ain't mine no more.

Nowadays I'm lost between 2 shores.

But that's my opinion and I'm sure others have different one's.

Yermanee

Grew up in LA and spend butt load time in NY. Why anyone would want to live in either place any longer is beyond me. US has 100s of better options as cities within which to live.

Droves of musicians and entertainment industry peeps are leaving LA and moving to cities such as Nashville. Talking to original Chicago member recently who left LA to move to Nashville and he said they didn't move, they escaped LA. Pretty much sentiment of most.

[cheechoo]

I left a few months ago and I don't regret it one bit . Earning real money and not having to put up with all the crap that used to piss me off in Thailand. Don't miss it at all . Went back for a holiday to finalise some things and it was a nice holiday and that's the way I want to keep it . I'll probably retire there but to live there right now at this time in my life . Depends how old you are but a lot of people seem to waste the best years of their life there and then one day they wake up at fifty and realise their future is non-existent . IMO you should retire there or go there very young . Between 28-50 , go somewhere else and get a career and money . You can always go back for holidays or retire there in a comfortable position when you're older . Thailand's okay but it's not as great as some people make out .Yes you can have a nice life there but you can do that in many other places too .

You seem to mention money a lot. Is that your only concern. I ask cos met oooooodles of folk who are transfixed by money and nothing else.

as a foreigner thailand aint so hot wo munney!

[farang000999]

Well these days the USA is so cheap that the argument USA vs Thailand is quite interesting.

From what I know about Europe, unless you have a really good job lined up, and your wife always has somewhere to work there, it gets much tougher. The cost of living in Europe is quite expensive.

But as for the USA vs Thailand, they both have a lot to offer. A few nice things about the USA:

Teenage girls love to prance around the beach in skimpy outfits with their curvy and tight figures falling out.

Delicious juicy steaks and real milk from properly raised cattle. Beef raised in Thailand is terrible and the milk is made from powder.

Seasons change.

Driving is pleasant. Sports cars are cheap.

NFL Sundays

Amazon Dot Com - Super low prices and they ship to your door. Not happy?, just send it back with free return shipping.

Edited November 4, 2012 by farang000999

[Naam]

I left a few months ago and I don't regret it one bit . Earning real money and not having to put up with all the crap that used to piss me off in Thailand. Don't miss it at all . Went back for a holiday to finalise some things and it was a nice holiday and that's the way I want to keep it . I'll probably retire there but to live there right now at this time in my life . Depends how old you are but a lot of people seem to waste the best years of their life there and then one day they wake up at fifty and realise their future is non-existent . IMO you should retire there or go there very young . Between 28-50 , go somewhere else and get a career and money . You can always go back for holidays or retire there in a comfortable position when you're older . Thailand's okay but it's not as great as some people make out .Yes you can have a nice life there but you can do that in many other places too .

You seem to mention money a lot. Is that your only concern. I ask cos met oooooodles of folk who are transfixed by money and nothing else.

as a foreigner thailand aint so hot wo munney!

which country is "hot" without any money?

[poanoi]

Any country is hot if you are young and hot

[Sharp]

leave!!!!!!!!! you will not regret it.

Care to base your recommendation on a more in-depth analysis, sir?

not really.

He's taking the piss ...

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[giddyup]

if cost was not an issue i would be living well in europe somewhere, preferably waterfront. hope this helps answer you question.

I hear George Clooney has his villa at lake Como up for sale.

[McMagus]

Back again .... this is an intriguing topic which I think, if we peel back the layers we will eventually get down to 'cultural acclimatization' as I like to call it. We are listing things about UK, USA, OZ ... etc., that we 'miss'.... some posters go down the road of ... 'If only Thailand had this ... or that ... or was more like .....' etc. then things would be fine, but not so; for in doing so we would eventually just keep on increasing our 'wish list' of changes ... a la Maslow until we have the cultural aspects we like, but transposed into a warm climate where things are cheap. So many posters come back to the money issue as a driver for their staying here. I think those who truly have found peace and contentment here may be the ones where their emotional ties to their Thai families outweigh the negatives of Thai living. Just a thought.

[farang000999]

you mean the in-laws when you say Thai family?

[mania]

you mean the in-laws when you say Thai family?

Why would that be so funny?

Even "Your" Mom & Dad had "in-laws"

they probably considered "family"

Edited November 5, 2012 by mania

[BigJohnnyBKK]

The family of the mother of my children, not just the immediate but extended, altogether at least two dozen, are much more true family to me and my kids than the mother is herself, and more so than my own immediate family back in the states.

Generous and kind, I have to exert self-discipline to decline the many offers they make to help support us financially that I know they can't easily afford.

Don't believe all the over-generalizations you find here. . .

[Bagwan]

I've been here 8 years now and unless I am in a picture similar to the one below, there is no way I'd want to leave Thailand

That depends on whether you are standing or sitting down.