Returning Expat Culture Shock......

[pokerspiv]

l the nanny state protections and foreign policy and economics and laws/regulations and ect are the very things that contributed to our relatively wealthy position in the world as compared to most Thais.

No, our economies succeeded despite the nanny state regulations on people's lives and the economy.

Most of these nanny state regulations have been in place for less than a decade. Australia has been a rich country for 150 years. Now it's a still rich country albeit with a large amount of annoying, unnnecessary regulations.

[chonabot]

Having been back for about 3 months I can say that the biggest culture shock so far is the crappy service we receive in restaurants and bars here.

Despite having to pay nearly 70 quid for a crappy Thai meal for 2, the words 'please' and 'Thanks' were distinctly lacking, as was the tip.

[GreenSnapper]

Having been back for about 3 months I can say that the biggest culture shock so far is the crappy service we receive in restaurants and bars here.

Despite having to pay nearly 70 quid for a crappy Thai meal for 2, the words 'please' and 'Thanks' were distinctly lacking, as was the tip.

That's why they often put 10% service charge on your bin.....

[cmsally]

I know an idiot who had been an expat wife for many years in Asia before returning to England and sat in her car at a gas station for 30 minutes waiting for an attendant to come and fill up her tank. Some people are beyond help from the beginning.

You may jest ; but in the village where I live in UK we have someone who fills up the tank! He says it would be bedlum if it was self service , as half of the village is in the early stages of Alzeimers. Last year when I was there, he told me he turned his back 2 secs to get the phone and an old lady drove off with the nozzle still in the tank. He had to throw the phone down and sprint off to get the nozzle out before the pump was ripped out "a la Mr Bean style".

[kurnell]

I know an idiot who had been an expat wife for many years in Asia before returning to England and sat in her car at a gas station for 30 minutes waiting for an attendant to come and fill up her tank. Some people are beyond help from the beginning.

You may jest ; but in the village where I live in UK we have someone who fills up the tank! He says it would be bedlum if it was self service , as half of the village is in the early stages of Alzeimers. Last year when I was there, he told me he turned his back 2 secs to get the phone and an old lady drove off with the nozzle still in the tank. He had to throw the phone down and sprint off to get the nozzle out before the pump was ripped out "a la Mr Bean style".

I think you'll find it's called "oldtimers" disease

[maccaroni man]

I am back after 16 yrs away and the USA banking system is a mess, a bit amussing at how humble bank officers are when we talk intrest pay outs. Customer service is much worse than i can ever recall. more people on some form of government hand outs than i would have ever imagined and if one wantsa to get a shock or confussed reply tell them you have savings. I returned because i was sure the PTUS would change and the economy would recover qucikly with new man in office which meant i would miss opportunity to get bargains, no worries the economy is in the tank, the news networks push an agenda and not the news, Brazil will be my next stop.

[chonabot]

I know an idiot who had been an expat wife for many years in Asia before returning to England and sat in her car at a gas station for 30 minutes waiting for an attendant to come and fill up her tank. Some people are beyond help from the beginning.

You may jest ; but in the village where I live in UK we have someone who fills up the tank! He says it would be bedlum if it was self service , as half of the village is in the early stages of Alzeimers. Last year when I was there, he told me he turned his back 2 secs to get the phone and an old lady drove off with the nozzle still in the tank. He had to throw the phone down and sprint off to get the nozzle out before the pump was ripped out "a la Mr Bean style".

I think you'll find it's called "oldtimers" disease

It's all so funny until it ruins the lives of your own family.

[chonabot]

I know an idiot who had been an expat wife for many years in Asia before returning to England and sat in her car at a gas station for 30 minutes waiting for an attendant to come and fill up her tank. Some people are beyond help from the beginning.

You may jest ; but in the village where I live in UK we have someone who fills up the tank! He says it would be bedlum if it was self service , as half of the village is in the early stages of Alzeimers. Last year when I was there, he told me he turned his back 2 secs to get the phone and an old lady drove off with the nozzle still in the tank. He had to throw the phone down and sprint off to get the nozzle out before the pump was ripped out "a la Mr Bean style".

I think you'll find it's called "oldtimers" disease

It's all so funny until it ruins the lives of your own family.

[Sayonarax]

I worked many years in Investment Banking in London and then returned to the nanny state of Australia and yes it was a shock. Working in the same industry in Sydney with the weird sydney people and their uptight personalities drove me insane. Most of them acted like they had a carrot up their bum and some of them held their noses so high that they would nearly drown in a rain storm. Needless to say I did not last long and decided to move to LOS to be amongst more normal farang....

I never heard this about Australia, can you develop ?

Aren't they the coolest in the world ? :-)

No. From an Australian who fled here. You don't get a nanny state (and Australia is Head Nanny of the world) without a population that laps up being controlled - and resents those who aren't subject to internal and external pressures to conform. Oz long ago ceased to be the laid back, friendly and laconic place of cultural lore.

Apparently we live in Queensland.. not Sydney or Melbourne.

Australia has a good country model, while not perfect, its fair to most people. Try comparing that with America, a soon to be Police State.

[Sayonarax]

I am back after 16 yrs away and the USA banking system is a mess, a bit amussing at how humble bank officers are when we talk intrest pay outs. Customer service is much worse than i can ever recall. more people on some form of government hand outs than i would have ever imagined and if one wantsa to get a shock or confussed reply tell them you have savings. I returned because i was sure the PTUS would change and the economy would recover qucikly with new man in office which meant i would miss opportunity to get bargains, no worries the economy is in the tank, the news networks push an agenda and not the news, Brazil will be my next stop.

Obama says the same crap over and over.. just look on youtube. The guys like a robot..