What do we give up to be an expat

[tuky]

I think GH has asked the wrong question.

The right question is what do we gain by being an expat.

[PaullyW]

I think the problem with this thread is that a distinction between expat and immigrant needs to be made.

I would imagine true expats did not give up much and probably gained quite a bit.

However, immigrants on the other hand, I would imagine they give up much.

[hanno]

I am not sure what I gave up since I have been an expat all my life. I did go back to Europe a few times and there were many things I liked: long summer evenings, theatre, food, beer......

But end of the day, I found most Europeans to be a grumpy lot (a little like on Thai Visa:-))) and overall I am sure that I am much happier here than I will ever be over there.

[mca]

A decent fry-up and quality fish and chips.

Edited July 19, 2013 by mca

[chiang mai]

In the case of UK expats, what we give up is the 5% or 10% of days each year that GH is experiencing currently that are making us all so envious. Perhaps ask the question again when the current anomaly has subsided.

Edited July 19, 2013 by chiang mai

[wayned]

I gave up a very stressful life, job and scheduled open heart bypass surgery to correct coronary artery blockage that was causing severe angina. That was 15 years ago and the agina went away almost imediately after my arrival and I'm still alive and well. To me the other things that I gave up are trivial!

[lemoncake]

I gave up the right to sleep with old women.

I also gave up the right to get my car stuck in snow drifts and skid on ice.

seems you also gave up all your morals, though possibly you may not have had any to start with

If sleeping with old women (or men) floats your boat, good on yer.

More to do with sexual preferences than morality IMHO.

Apparently pedophiles and rapists also have same mentality.

It's just their sexual preference.

Edited July 19, 2013 by lemoncake

[kikoman]

I did not give up anything, I just moved on to a better life of my own choosing.

Many may consider themselves 2nd class citizen in Thailand due to the lack of those rights they had enjoyed in the old country, If I cared about those rights I would never have made the decision to live in Thailand.

If I am in fact a 2nd class citizen here, i was by my own choosing of a better place in a better life!

Not the life in the states I was considered a 2nd class citizen because of the color of my skin.

Cheers:

[Payboy]

Let's face it, most guys stay here for the cheap sex . Nothing else .

It's absolutely unfair to say that, don't forget there's also lots of free sex.

[i claudius]

These days we have skype ,i talk to my familly all the time ,when ifirst came to Thailand calls were about one pound seventy a minute , i go back to the UK regularly once a year ,i love it ,then after two weeks i miss Thailand after 3 weeks i am climbing the walls and cant wait to get back home. to my house ,my bed ,my car , and i even miss The tv ,Am i normal

[lemoncake]

Let's face it, most guys stay here for the cheap sex . Nothing else .

Either you have not been to Thailand or have never met a Thai sex worker, but rest assured it is not cheap and costs some all their life savings

[1FinickyOne]

Can it be any simpler? stay home - living in Thailand is not for everyone - and it seems not for you. Why even bother to post about it?

[mamypoko]

Northern California - my list of the things I miss would crash the server

...but, the list of the things I love about living here levels the scale

[kevvy]

Let's face it, most guys stay here for the cheap sex . Nothing else .

wow you have a great outlook on Thailand .

[Issangeorge]

I gave up the right to sleep with old women.

I also gave up the right to get my car stuck in snow drifts and skid on ice.

 

seems you also gave up all your morals, though possibly you may not have had any to start with

If sleeping with old women (or men) floats your boat, good on yer.

More to do with sexual preferences than morality IMHO.

Apparently pedophiles and rapists also have same mentality.

It's just their sexual preference.

Attention moderator: Lemoncake seems to be picking on a particular individual for no reason, and his posts are contributing nothing to the discussion, it would be nice if his posts were removed.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[EveryDayTheSame]

Plenty of Real ale here in Samui!!......Fullers London pride and ESB (bottled 139 Bht/500ml) and Morlands Speckled Hen on Draught.....YES ON DRAUGHT!! (150Bht/Pint).........OH!, AND radio 4,Ashes cricket,Pirate bay,Porn,Sunday lunch,BBQ's,beaches,girls in bars,hi speed internet,bowling alley,3 screen cinema,curries,swimming pool..................Sorry if i've left anything out!!.........UK...What's to miss??

[Shurup]

Gave up wearing 100 of pounds of clothes for 8 months a year, shoveling snow every morning, scrapping frost off the windshield and warming up a car for 15 min before driving off, cheap vehicles, friends and family.

[VETO72]

Not sure about the radio 4!

If your in Thailand for the GF then bring here over for the complete package, on second thoughts don't!

Keep the idyllic life idyllic.

I concur the U.K is the best place in the world right now and it's set to continue for the considerable future.

Thailand is o.k for holidays or winter retirement months, but all year round?

CCC

UK the best place in the world...lol...

[ppmacready]

Logic.

Principals.

[BuriramRes]

Last time I was back I had a lovely pub lunch down by the river with my dear old mother, watching the birds. There were children digging in a hole on the other side of the river, under the tutelage of a university friend of mine with a bizarre sense of humour, who got on very well with my mother when I introduced them.

Of course, being June, it was slightly parky-to-baltic; brisk, indeed, but the natives were all appropriately dressed. and I had my jacket with me.

I do sometimes muse about moving back to the Old Country; or at least moving the clan back...

SC

After liviing as a Kiwi in the UK for 5 years, I shifted because I was sick of living in a "museum" where one could not paint one's front door without getting permission from the local council.

Other things I don't miss:

(a) Developing the front garden of a new house without firstly submitting a plan to the local authorities for approval

( Commuting 3 hours a day to work

© Wondering whether a speed camera was active each time you went past

(d) Ad infinitum (I could go on for ever except I have intentionally cleansed my brain of those things!!!

[Suradit69]

Not sure about the radio 4!

If your in Thailand for the GF then bring here over for the complete package, on second thoughts don't!

Keep the idyllic life idyllic.

I concur the U.K is the best place in the world right now and it's set to continue for the considerable future.

Thailand is o.k for holidays or winter retirement months, but all year round?

CCC

"I concur the U.K is the best place in the world right now and it's set to continue for the considerable future."

Thanks for the laugh. When you wrote that were you giggling or something?

Third world Britain: Country faces food shortage, warn MPs SHOPPERS should buy meat only as an occasional treat to help protect future food supplies and keep prices down, MPs have warned.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/404884/Third-world-Britain-Country-faces-food-shortage-warn-MPs

Edited July 19, 2013 by Suradit69

[Kruzon]

As a Canadian AB expat I totally relate to your home words as mountain biking river trails and backcountry walking trails and park trails are scattered all around AB and can include mountain trails - badlands, glaciers - dinosaur museums or parks spread all around AB, yes there's even an all across Canada trail. Note to experience Downhill Mountain Biking very specialized equipment and training is required as you ride up a ski lift to the top of the mountain and ride your bicycle down the mountain "same same as downhill skiing but different" as you are on a bicycle. Yup my 12 year old and I took the "bunny trail" being the road the muntain maintenance vehicles and ambulances would take to go up and down the mountain (skiers call this with a green triangle) and regular mountain bikes were more than sufficient for this trail without any special equipment.

Mountain bike picture links

http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4935992236705893&pid=15.1

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4537372050850408&pid=15.1

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4854529605043472&pid=15.1

special Body Gear is not an option for the serious and note the cost is one bike per year plus one suit of armour per year per person plus lifts and hotels so it's same same as downhill but different.

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4844535237117824&pid=15.1

Yes ... I was an adrenaline junkie .. Still am I guess .. but due to osteoporosis, a form of arthritis, my bones break 10 times easier than someone without my stage of osteo ... so Thailand has allowed me to slow down .. no more biking (as can't exercise in the air here in Bangkok due to asthma). However having said this, wind surfing is becoming a real possible source of the adrenaline rush I so miss. and Hau Hin is becoming the source for physically preparing for the learning leading to possibly actually trying my next adrenaline fix wind surfing.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/mgo-t2-c196425

There are a hundred other things missed from home ... yes including the beers and all that goes with adrenalin junkies in general, camping trips, fishing trips, privacy in gods country as AB Canada provides.

One thing's for sure and that is I truly do not miss shoveling snow!

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4646489960810848&pid=15.1

http://www.easkiandsnowboard.com/massive-snow-fall-in-new-zealand/shoveling-snow-august-2012_web/

http://blog.laylamorganwilde.com/2013/02/11/is-snow-a-four-letter-word.aspx

Thailand is what you allow it to be for you. In most cases you can live 3 times longer on the same foreigner dollar here in Thailand as you could in your home country for the same lifestyle or some have said they can live 3 times higher for the same length of time by residing in Thailand. I believe that is now reduced to twice as well!

[Mousehound]

Moving to live in a new country always presents challenges. I have moved many times during my life with the last years being in Australia, where I have most of my family. The pattern seems to be delight with the new adventure or about six months then a bout of home sickness. Then developing a routine with a major home sickness about eighteen months to two years in. If you get past this slowly you settle in and develop enough interests and friends to settle down. Doubts seem to creep in at moments of stress such as landmark birthdays or stresses on the finances or marriage or perhaps because of illness.

There is no doubt we remember most the good times we had in "the old country" and tend to forget the bad times. If I return to England it is usually on holiday or on business and I have time to spare, am not having to commute to work in the freezing dark and I am a bit of a novelty to the dwindling family and friends that remain.

Loneliness is an increasing problem for many in western cultures. The phenomenon of super-modernity: the being surrounded by thousands of people and yet actually not knowing any of them is disquieting for older people but quite normal for younger generations. I have noticed the changes over the years. Today not many people in Australia seem to know their neighbours, few acknowledge you as you walk in the street and antisocial behaviour has driven many people to live in an atmosphere of fear. Families are now very split up and children often rarely see parents as both need to work with an one to two hour commute each way, leaving little time to socialise when they get home.

The benefits for some of this lifestyle is that they are generally more affluent than say fifty years ago.

People migrate not only for financial reasons but, as we all know, for peace of mind, adventure and the hope of greater personal happiness. The grass is always greener syndrome is often cast at those that take the chance for a new life in another country. However, in my case at least, I know that financially I made a mistake, those that remained in England are now all well off but I have to say they are not happy people. And Australia is changing so rapidly into just another urban jungle where money is everything and quality of life is measured in financial terms.

I think that those that have chosen Thailand as their home have had some courage to do so, and although many may seem to regret this choice they should consider that life back "home" has its down side as well.

[Windy]

I concur the U.K is the best place in the world right now and it's set to continue for the considerable future.

CCC

[Anon999]

Let's face it, most guys stay here for the cheap sex . Nothing else .

Please identify your source of the above claim so we can all have a look! I will not hold my breath.

[Anon999]

Moving to live in a new country always presents challenges. I have moved many times during my life with the last years being in Australia, where I have most of my family. The pattern seems to be delight with the new adventure or about six months then a bout of home sickness. Then developing a routine with a major home sickness about eighteen months to two years in. If you get past this slowly you settle in and develop enough interests and friends to settle down. Doubts seem to creep in at moments of stress such as landmark birthdays or stresses on the finances or marriage or perhaps because of illness.

There is no doubt we remember most the good times we had in "the old country" and tend to forget the bad times. If I return to England it is usually on holiday or on business and I have time to spare, am not having to commute to work in the freezing dark and I am a bit of a novelty to the dwindling family and friends that remain.

Loneliness is an increasing problem for many in western cultures. The phenomenon of super-modernity: the being surrounded by thousands of people and yet actually not knowing any of them is disquieting for older people but quite normal for younger generations. I have noticed the changes over the years. Today not many people in Australia seem to know their neighbours, few acknowledge you as you walk in the street and antisocial behaviour has driven many people to live in an atmosphere of fear. Families are now very split up and children often rarely see parents as both need to work with an one to two hour commute each way, leaving little time to socialise when they get home.

The benefits for some of this lifestyle is that they are generally more affluent than say fifty years ago.

People migrate not only for financial reasons but, as we all know, for peace of mind, adventure and the hope of greater personal happiness. The grass is always greener syndrome is often cast at those that take the chance for a new life in another country. However, in my case at least, I know that financially I made a mistake, those that remained in England are now all well off but I have to say they are not happy people. And Australia is changing so rapidly into just another urban jungle where money is everything and quality of life is measured in financial terms.

I think that those that have chosen Thailand as their home have had some courage to do so, and although many may seem to regret this choice they should consider that life back "home" has its down side as well.

I have lived in a number of countries but homesick, never.

[Freedomfighter]

I'm not a British expat, but I did leave Hawaii (17+years there) to be an expat here. Hawaii has it's pros and cons as well, anyplace does.

But after several years here ( I didn't come for cheap sex) being gainfully and legally employed, the novelty of Thailand has worn off. I wont be going back to Hawaii ( highest cost of living in the USA) but I have chosen another country that is NOT in Asia.

One person's paradise is another person's hell. Just a matter of perspective and what you are willing to give up and take.

[smotherb]

Not sure about the radio 4!

If your in Thailand for the GF then bring here over for the complete package, on second thoughts don't!

Keep the idyllic life idyllic.

I concur the U.K is the best place in the world right now and it's set to continue for the considerable future.

Thailand is o.k for holidays or winter retirement months, but all year round?

CCC

Aren't you Anglophiles quaint. I wonder how many non-English would even consider England as the best place in the world--unless. of course, you are referring to aliens trying to get the dole; even then, there are better places.

[smotherb]

A decent fry-up and quality fish and chips.

Gee, why don't you learn to cook?

[smotherb]

I gave up the right to sleep with old women.

I also gave up the right to get my car stuck in snow drifts and skid on ice.

seems you also gave up all your morals, though possibly you may not have had any to start with

If sleeping with old women (or men) floats your boat, good on yer.

More to do with sexual preferences than morality IMHO.

Apparently pedophiles and rapists also have same mentality.

It's just their sexual preference.

Wouldn't 'Fruitcake' have been a better handle?