What's the point?

[samuibeachcomber]

happiness is ephemeral,it comes and goes,as it should.To know happiness you have to experience unhappiness to appreciate happiness,does that make sense?

Many people travel through life without finding what they want to do with it,but that does n't mean you have to be unhappy about it.

I have found the first ingredient to be happy/.content is to feel at home in the environment you live in.Usually when you reach this state other good things follow...........like making good friends/contacts and from that quite often i have found opportunities that you had not reckoned on begin to flow your way.

So if you are not happy or enjoying the environment you live in its time to change.When i first arrived in thailand on a 2 week holiday i just knew this was the place/life style for me and 8 years on i have not changed my mind

[NCFC]

Had Christmas dinner with my daughter as she talked excitedly about her career plans for the future. The look of happiness on her face told me any struggles, difficulties and sacrifices I may have made were worth it. Best Christmas present ever.

[khunpa]

happiness is ephemeral,it comes and goes,as it should.To know happiness you have to experience unhappiness to appreciate happiness,does that make sense?

Many people travel through life without finding what they want to do with it,but that does n't mean you have to be unhappy about it.

I have found the first ingredient to be happy/.content is to feel at home in the environment you live in.Usually when you reach this state other good things follow...........like making good friends/contacts and from that quite often i have found opportunities that you had not reckoned on begin to flow your way.

So if you are not happy or enjoying the environment you live in its time to change.When i first arrived in thailand on a 2 week holiday i just knew this was the place/life style for me and 8 years on i have not changed my mind

I agree that happiness comes and goes, but it is also a state of mind and something you choose or not choose.

You can choose to either look at the positive things in your life or focus on the negative. If you constantly look at the things you do not have, then you will never be happy. When I get hit with things that easily could make me unhappy, then I focus on the things I have which makes me happy (my health, my girlfriend, my children and so on...)

Its always easy to just sit down and feel sorry for yourself and feel unhappy. But the fact is that by doing so, you are wasting time feeling unhappy that you will never get back. So to me happiness is in your mind and something you also can to a large extent control yourself.

[kirk0233]

What's the point in anything?

The agnostic,dyslexic,insomniac,woke up in the middle of the night and wondered if there really was a dog!

looks like dysgraphia to me

[hansnl]

Manic depressive comes to mind after skim reading your post.

I don't know what that means. care to elaborate?

Bipolar Disorder !

Is that clear enough>

I guess many people have the feelings that the OP expressed.

Nothing special about that.

Feelings come and go, regular or irregular.

But, what is the use of thinking about the reason of life.

[quandow]

Every time I go back to visit relatives in the U.S., I come back REALLY APPRECIATING Thailand. If you don't like it here, move on.

[tyler2208]

well, For the larger part I agree with "it's nothing special"

I am a westerner/farang, but have grown up here in thailand since I was a kid.

I have Thai nationality, speak,read and write thai fluently, so don't encounter the problems that many other farangs do here with regard to visa's, work permits, land ownership and communication etc.

All I can say is, this place is home, my friends are here, my adopted parents are from here and my wife is from here too.

However, if I had more money and no attachments here, I would be gone in a heartbeat, this place is "nothing special" is an understatement.

My personal opinion is, that Thailand attracts expats for many reasons and like many other things in life, when it's new, it's usually fun but once the novelty/honeymoon period wears off, then thailand just becomes home, nothing special, with good and bad things and various pro's and cons.

I think this can be seen often on this forum, when newcomers to thailand ask for advice or opinions about thailand and are often met with negativity etc from posters here.

I dont think that that posters here are wrong for responding with negative comments, if anything I often find that these comments hold the most validity on many occasions.

Many people come to Thailand for various reasons, for those that have been here long term (not just a couple of years) have seen the various changes take place from year to year and have also had time to develop as people.

If we all think back to how we ourselves have changed of the last decade as individuals, most will find that we have changed a lot, the way we feel about things, think about things, even what we require to keep us mentally and emotionally stimulated.

For those who have come to thailand purely for sex and fun on a budget, with no aspirations for anything more than that, these are the ones who are most easily pleased here.

That being said, some of the people who were originally lured here, by the laid back approach, sex and fun etc many years ago, are now not fulfilled by such things, because over a long period of time they have evolved/changed both emotionally and mentally (physically too) and are often looking for something else to meet their needs for a fulfilling life.

This is where Thailand can fall down for many.

Thailand is still a third world country in many ways. Yes it would seem to have become more affluent over recent years, expensive phones, cars and stuff but Thailand is still stuck in the dark ages in so many ways.

aside from saucy fun and frollicks, what does Thailand offer? when compared to many other places in the world.

The infrastructure here leaves alot to be disired.

Lack of museums and quality libraries.

opprossive heat most of the year.

terrible health and safety standards.

lack of quality tradesmen.

Bad TV shows.

Lack of quality merchandise available.

Bland architecture.

Genrally there is lack of choice here, which is whay I believe many stuggle with.

An example of this could be the food, as I said I have been raised on thai food, do I like it? some things are ok, but I personally prefer many interantional foods over thai food.

One could argue that many international foods are available here, this is true, but much of it it substandard to what you get overseas and often carries a high premium here and if you want to cook it yourself, the nessassary ingredients are a chore to find, often requiring you to visit many shops and stores to get the ingedients needed to make one particular dish, often the ingredients (if found) are expensive to buy also.

This is just one example, which to many newbies may seem trivial or a minor inconvenience or sacrifice at most, yet for people who have been here for years and years, these things all snowball, after all, sometimes its the small things in life right...

Of course Thailand has some good things about it, but then again so do so many other places in the world, so when comparisons are made, it is easy to see why thailand is "nothing special"

We all make decisions in life based on how we feel at the time. Many people chose to make Thailand there home along time ago believing they would be happy here. But as time passes, things change and so do people as individual's, I feel many people regret there choice in moving to thailand and I see no shame in that.

Who can predict how they will feel about a person, a place or anything 5 years from now let alone 2 or 3 decades from now.

For all those who love to say to posters here "well if you dont like it, leave"

For many people, it is not as easy as to pack up and move to what they deem as greener pastures...

Many have wives, children, propery, work and business commitments here that are not easy to just walk away from. Many just accept there fate and get on with it. After all many people all ovet the world dont particularly like where they live, many have left there home countries to settle here for this very reason.

There are some people who have been here 3 decades and still love the place, I say good for them, Thailand obviously has enough to stimute them still after all these years.

I personally loved my teenage years here, especially late teens, when me and my friends from school were old enough for bous nights out in nightclubs etc, life was fun doing all the normal stuff young men do, drinking, partying, girs...

It is as I have grown older here and my tastes have changed or developed that I struggle with Thailand.

For those looking for nothing more than afforadable fun and nothing too serious, then Thailand can still tick a lot of boxes for many.

For people that are looking for more than than just sex, fun and partying, Thailand can really become tedious to say the least.

For me many issues are highlighted when visiting, more devoloped countries, I enjoy the choice to be able to go to angood museaum or art gallery if I want to, I enjoy the opportunity to use reliable internet with good download speeds, or the choice to visit the theatre.

Thailand Is still geared to towards a childish mentality on so many levels. Just look at Thai TV! where are the documentaries, Diy programs...

My view is, that the more choices we have in life, then the more content we are...

Thailand does not offer much in the way of choice on the whole... food, quality products, skilled proffessionals, arts and culture, education...

So in a nutshell, my personal opinion (many will disagree) Thailand is overated, for those who are not here for sex, afforable living, buddhism etc, will probably become very fed up or bored with Thailand sooner or later.

for those that don't, well done...

[CIHUAHUA]

What a statement. It makes those of us who live here, for what ever reason, defensive with our own decision for being here. It is like questioning religion. Maybe it is a good post to make us ask ourselves "why am I here?" Some of us are stuck and must stay. Others just like the way it is. Others just don't have a clue.

[DrTuner]

Only a year ? The expat blues usually strikes after three.

[Ulysses G.]

What a statement. It makes those of us who live here, for what ever reason, defensive with our own decision for being here.

Not me. I like it here. I could care less what anyone else thinks.

[MrWorldwide]

Had Christmas dinner with my daughter as she talked excitedly about her career plans for the future. The look of happiness on her face told me any struggles, difficulties and sacrifices I may have made were worth it. Best Christmas present ever.

Interesting - I had lunch with my sister and her husband here in Oz, but that was the fun part, Earlier we went to the town cemetery to put fresh plastic flowers on my mother's grave - not so bad, but its surrounded by the graves of people I shared this town with as a child. I'm almost 55 and many of those headstones were for family men who didn't make it that far - quite a few who didn't even make it to 30 (car accidents mainly). Bracing when you see them all in one place and think about the impact on their families.

To say that we aren't a close family is an understatement, but my sister knows I wont be coming back from Asia this time and its not a farewell I look forward to. As some wit quipped recently 'family know how to push your buttons because they were there when those buttons were created'. That April plane ride can't come soon enough - that will be MY Christmas present

[arminbkk]

Is this about what's the point of living in Thailand or what's the point of living?

For some (not me by the way), what's the point of living, if you are not living in Thailand?

[advancebooking]

One can only sympathise with OP as we all have our ups and downs. You do sound like you have anger issues (no offence). You should really strive to find some love with someone. It will change your entire outlook on life.

When you get older you will realise that its best to avoid introspection. You need to be an outward thinking person. Never dwell on the past. Learn from your successes and failures. Happiness is really just bullet points in your life. Its not a permanent state.

I would suggest you see a psychologist in Bangkok who can analyse your thoughts and give feedback. Its likely that you have been repeating behaviour all these years and no doubt a little bit obsessive with your negative thoughts. You can learn tools ie CBT to control your mind.

I often wonder why some people discover that by changing their idea's they can be happy whilst others never discover this and go on being miserable....

[TheSwede99]

You do not need to accomplish anything at all, just take it easy and relax and try to enjoy life.

There is no point to be born, your parents just wanted a child.

Take advantage of your life and do not necessarily try to achieve something.

Just to be happy and be able to do what you want is good enough.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Edited December 25, 2013 by TheSwede99

[advancebooking]

My wonderful Thai wife and sweet, beautiful five year old daughter.

That is what makes life good.

You are missing out.

Try living for someone besides yourself.

Grow a little.

Grow up!

Merry Christmas kid!

This is so true. Good on you willymill

[advancebooking]

well, For the larger part I agree with "it's nothing special"

I am a westerner/farang, but have grown up here in thailand since I was a kid.

I have Thai nationality, speak,read and write thai fluently, so don't encounter the problems that many other farangs do here with regard to visa's, work permits, land ownership and communication etc.

All I can say is, this place is home, my friends are here, my adopted parents are from here and my wife is from here too.

However, if I had more money and no attachments here, I would be gone in a heartbeat, this place is "nothing special" is an understatement.

My personal opinion is, that Thailand attracts expats for many reasons and like many other things in life, when it's new, it's usually fun but once the novelty/honeymoon period wears off, then thailand just becomes home, nothing special, with good and bad things and various pro's and cons.

I think this can be seen often on this forum, when newcomers to thailand ask for advice or opinions about thailand and are often met with negativity etc from posters here.

I dont think that that posters here are wrong for responding with negative comments, if anything I often find that these comments hold the most validity on many occasions.

Many people come to Thailand for various reasons, for those that have been here long term (not just a couple of years) have seen the various changes take place from year to year and have also had time to develop as people.

If we all think back to how we ourselves have changed of the last decade as individuals, most will find that we have changed a lot, the way we feel about things, think about things, even what we require to keep us mentally and emotionally stimulated.

For those who have come to thailand purely for sex and fun on a budget, with no aspirations for anything more than that, these are the ones who are most easily pleased here.

That being said, some of the people who were originally lured here, by the laid back approach, sex and fun etc many years ago, are now not fulfilled by such things, because over a long period of time they have evolved/changed both emotionally and mentally (physically too) and are often looking for something else to meet their needs for a fulfilling life.

This is where Thailand can fall down for many.

Thailand is still a third world country in many ways. Yes it would seem to have become more affluent over recent years, expensive phones, cars and stuff but Thailand is still stuck in the dark ages in so many ways.

aside from saucy fun and frollicks, what does Thailand offer? when compared to many other places in the world.

The infrastructure here leaves alot to be disired.

Lack of museums and quality libraries.

opprossive heat most of the year.

terrible health and safety standards.

lack of quality tradesmen.

Bad TV shows.

Lack of quality merchandise available.

Bland architecture.

Genrally there is lack of choice here, which is whay I believe many stuggle with.

An example of this could be the food, as I said I have been raised on thai food, do I like it? some things are ok, but I personally prefer many interantional foods over thai food.

One could argue that many international foods are available here, this is true, but much of it it substandard to what you get overseas and often carries a high premium here and if you want to cook it yourself, the nessassary ingredients are a chore to find, often requiring you to visit many shops and stores to get the ingedients needed to make one particular dish, often the ingredients (if found) are expensive to buy also.

This is just one example, which to many newbies may seem trivial or a minor inconvenience or sacrifice at most, yet for people who have been here for years and years, these things all snowball, after all, sometimes its the small things in life right...

Of course Thailand has some good things about it, but then again so do so many other places in the world, so when comparisons are made, it is easy to see why thailand is "nothing special"

We all make decisions in life based on how we feel at the time. Many people chose to make Thailand there home along time ago believing they would be happy here. But as time passes, things change and so do people as individual's, I feel many people regret there choice in moving to thailand and I see no shame in that.

Who can predict how they will feel about a person, a place or anything 5 years from now let alone 2 or 3 decades from now.

For all those who love to say to posters here "well if you dont like it, leave"

For many people, it is not as easy as to pack up and move to what they deem as greener pastures...

Many have wives, children, propery, work and business commitments here that are not easy to just walk away from. Many just accept there fate and get on with it. After all many people all ovet the world dont particularly like where they live, many have left there home countries to settle here for this very reason.

There are some people who have been here 3 decades and still love the place, I say good for them, Thailand obviously has enough to stimute them still after all these years.

I personally loved my teenage years here, especially late teens, when me and my friends from school were old enough for bous nights out in nightclubs etc, life was fun doing all the normal stuff young men do, drinking, partying, girs...

It is as I have grown older here and my tastes have changed or developed that I struggle with Thailand.

For those looking for nothing more than afforadable fun and nothing too serious, then Thailand can still tick a lot of boxes for many.

For people that are looking for more than than just sex, fun and partying, Thailand can really become tedious to say the least.

For me many issues are highlighted when visiting, more devoloped countries, I enjoy the choice to be able to go to angood museaum or art gallery if I want to, I enjoy the opportunity to use reliable internet with good download speeds, or the choice to visit the theatre.

Thailand Is still geared to towards a childish mentality on so many levels. Just look at Thai TV! where are the documentaries, Diy programs...

My view is, that the more choices we have in life, then the more content we are...

Thailand does not offer much in the way of choice on the whole... food, quality products, skilled proffessionals, arts and culture, education...

So in a nutshell, my personal opinion (many will disagree) Thailand is overated, for those who are not here for sex, afforable living, buddhism etc, will probably become very fed up or bored with Thailand sooner or later.

for those that don't, well done...

why dont you tell us what you really think. I think you could have given us a little more detail.

If I meet you at the pub I dont think that I would have to talk- let you take care of that

[indyuk]

It strikes me that you are searching for something that doesn't exist. You state that you are worldly and have travelled to many countries yet remain unfulfilled. Our individual lives are incredibly valuable and I believe that there is a destiny of value for each of our complex personalities.

Therefore I recommend that you search for your core driving force, assimilate same and get yourself into warp drive whilst you are still young. As soon as you understand who you are you will rush forward to you destiny.

If you don't understand what my puny words are trying to tell you get help by exploring your 'id' with your most intellectual friends or a professional psychologist.

[metisdead]

An offensive post has been removed as well as the replies.

[Spalpeen]

_{Silly Rabbit, everyone knows the answer to the meaning of life is 42.}

.

"Life. Who needs it?" Marvin the Android.

[wprime]

I know it's a cliche but happiness comes from within. If you weren't happy wherever else you've lived then you won't be happy here.

I suggest looking into your life goals, there's no point drifting from country to country if you don't know what you're looking for.

[JLCrab]

From the extensive Post #72:

.

Lack of museums and quality libraries.

That's it -- I'm leaving.

[tyler2208]

My wonderful Thai wife and sweet, beautiful five year old daughter.

That is what makes life good.

You are missing out.

Try living for someone besides yourself.

Grow a little.

Grow up!

Merry Christmas kid!

This is so true. Good on you willymill

Here we go! didn't take long before some hitler wannabe starts telling the poster to grow up and suggest that he finds happiness by living for someone else.... just because it works for him.

The fact that the op is questioning thus matter, sais to me that he is grown up and inteligent enough to ask questions like this and explore his feelings.

How many stale realshonships have tried to be rekindled by having a child, onlt to find that once the novelty of parenthood wears off that the relashionship is actually still stale.

how many people out there are in bad relasionships and know they are in a bad or wrong relasionship but stay in it becuase they think they will be happier that way than being alone.

The op has clearly stated hendoes not want a child or a wife, so according to you he is immature to not want these things? and should therefore try living for someone else even though he does not want to, just to be considered a grown up in your eyes!

He is obviously conflicted about his place in life and achievements and is trying to explore this further, then some einstein like you comes

along and tells him to grow up and in a round about way suggests try living for someone else, which would suggest a relashionship of some sort, which he cleary does not want and clearly not ready for.

So what happens then ifnhe takes your advice and still feels this way (maybe even worse because he feels trapped in a relashionship that he never really wanted, god forbid with a child he never wanted) then he either leaves them, in turn created another 1 maybe 2 unhappy people, or just staying with them because its the "right thing to do" and never being able to acheive any happiness.

It's because of condescending genious's like you, that the world

has so many broken families and unhappy marriages.

I think it is you that needs to grow up! get out of you ivory tower and drop the notion that just because something works for you, that it will indeed work for everyone else.

I would use a particular word to describe you beginig with the letter "C" if it was not against the thai visa forum rules.

[NCFC]

Had Christmas dinner with my daughter as she talked excitedly about her career plans for the future. The look of happiness on her face told me any struggles, difficulties and sacrifices I may have made were worth it. Best Christmas present ever.

Interesting - I had lunch with my sister and her husband here in Oz, but that was the fun part, Earlier we went to the town cemetery to put fresh plastic flowers on my mother's grave - not so bad, but its surrounded by the graves of people I shared this town with as a child. I'm almost 55 and many of those headstones were for family men who didn't make it that far - quite a few who didn't even make it to 30 (car accidents mainly). Bracing when you see them all in one place and think about the impact on their families.

To say that we aren't a close family is an understatement, but my sister knows I wont be coming back from Asia this time and its not a farewell I look forward to. As some wit quipped recently 'family know how to push your buttons because they were there when those buttons were created'. That April plane ride can't come soon enough - that will be MY Christmas present

Your post really chimed with me as I had a very similar experience. Eight years ago went back for my Dad's funeral and in the cemetery were the plaques and headstones of his generation and some of my generation too. I come from a small nothing-special place of around 5000 souls and knew everybody as a kid. Reading the names I could picture their faces and recall their faces. They were all there. The good, the bad, the sweet old ladies, the rogues.

The only thing they had in common was their death and whatever they passed on to the next generation.

My work has taken me to live around the world and most places are nothing-special places if you want them to be.

It's what you contribute that makes a place or situation special. It's what you can pass on to the next generation that makes life worthwhile.

[Fullstop]

"Why do you live in Thailand?"

I'm asked this question so many times ... I put an explanation in "Evernote" on my smart phone. Now I just open it and hand the phone to anyone who asks.

Here it is...

Back in Oz

8 hours a day SOLID

5 days a week

1 month a year holiday+11 (approx) Public holidays

Approx: A month and a 1/3 holidays.

LOS

3-4 hours a day SOLID

5 days a week

3 months a year holiday+20 (approx) Public holidays

Approx: Three and 2/3 months holidays.

Can afford to live the same, yet different level of lifestyle as I did in Oz.

Actually ... considering the QUARTER of a year holidays, EVERY year here ... let's make that a BETTER lifestyle ... for HALF the work!

Edited December 25, 2013 by Fullstop

[belg]

sound depressed

get some vitamine D, go out in the sun a bit more

TROLL POST ALERT

vietnam war victimes?

that was 40 years ago and OP is in his thirties...

Edited December 25, 2013 by belg

[tyler2208]

well, For the larger part I agree with "it's nothing special"

I am a westerner/farang, but have grown up here in thailand since I was a kid.

I have Thai nationality, speak,read and write thai fluently, so don't encounter the problems that many other farangs do here with regard to visa's, work permits, land ownership and communication etc.

All I can say is, this place is home, my friends are here, my adopted parents are from here and my wife is from here too.

However, if I had more money and no attachments here, I would be gone in a heartbeat, this place is "nothing special" is an understatement.

My personal opinion is, that Thailand attracts expats for many reasons and like many other things in life, when it's new, it's usually fun but once the novelty/honeymoon period wears off, then thailand just becomes home, nothing special, with good and bad things and various pro's and cons.

I think this can be seen often on this forum, when newcomers to thailand ask for advice or opinions about thailand and are often met with negativity etc from posters here.

I dont think that that posters here are wrong for responding with negative comments, if anything I often find that these comments hold the most validity on many occasions.

Many people come to Thailand for various reasons, for those that have been here long term (not just a couple of years) have seen the various changes take place from year to year and have also had time to develop as people.

If we all think back to how we ourselves have changed of the last decade as individuals, most will find that we have changed a lot, the way we feel about things, think about things, even what we require to keep us mentally and emotionally stimulated.

For those who have come to thailand purely for sex and fun on a budget, with no aspirations for anything more than that, these are the ones who are most easily pleased here.

That being said, some of the people who were originally lured here, by the laid back approach, sex and fun etc many years ago, are now not fulfilled by such things, because over a long period of time they have evolved/changed both emotionally and mentally (physically too) and are often looking for something else to meet their needs for a fulfilling life.

This is where Thailand can fall down for many.

Thailand is still a third world country in many ways. Yes it would seem to have become more affluent over recent years, expensive phones, cars and stuff but Thailand is still stuck in the dark ages in so many ways.

aside from saucy fun and frollicks, what does Thailand offer? when compared to many other places in the world.

The infrastructure here leaves alot to be disired.

Lack of museums and quality libraries.

opprossive heat most of the year.

terrible health and safety standards.

lack of quality tradesmen.

Bad TV shows.

Lack of quality merchandise available.

Bland architecture.

Genrally there is lack of choice here, which is whay I believe many stuggle with.

An example of this could be the food, as I said I have been raised on thai food, do I like it? some things are ok, but I personally prefer many interantional foods over thai food.

One could argue that many international foods are available here, this is true, but much of it it substandard to what you get overseas and often carries a high premium here and if you want to cook it yourself, the nessassary ingredients are a chore to find, often requiring you to visit many shops and stores to get the ingedients needed to make one particular dish, often the ingredients (if found) are expensive to buy also.

This is just one example, which to many newbies may seem trivial or a minor inconvenience or sacrifice at most, yet for people who have been here for years and years, these things all snowball, after all, sometimes its the small things in life right...

Of course Thailand has some good things about it, but then again so do so many other places in the world, so when comparisons are made, it is easy to see why thailand is "nothing special"

We all make decisions in life based on how we feel at the time. Many people chose to make Thailand there home along time ago believing they would be happy here. But as time passes, things change and so do people as individual's, I feel many people regret there choice in moving to thailand and I see no shame in that.

Who can predict how they will feel about a person, a place or anything 5 years from now let alone 2 or 3 decades from now.

For all those who love to say to posters here "well if you dont like it, leave"

For many people, it is not as easy as to pack up and move to what they deem as greener pastures...

Many have wives, children, propery, work and business commitments here that are not easy to just walk away from. Many just accept there fate and get on with it. After all many people all ovet the world dont particularly like where they live, many have left there home countries to settle here for this very reason.

There are some people who have been here 3 decades and still love the place, I say good for them, Thailand obviously has enough to stimute them still after all these years.

I personally loved my teenage years here, especially late teens, when me and my friends from school were old enough for bous nights out in nightclubs etc, life was fun doing all the normal stuff young men do, drinking, partying, girs...

It is as I have grown older here and my tastes have changed or developed that I struggle with Thailand.

For those looking for nothing more than afforadable fun and nothing too serious, then Thailand can still tick a lot of boxes for many.

For people that are looking for more than than just sex, fun and partying, Thailand can really become tedious to say the least.

For me many issues are highlighted when visiting, more devoloped countries, I enjoy the choice to be able to go to angood museaum or art gallery if I want to, I enjoy the opportunity to use reliable internet with good download speeds, or the choice to visit the theatre.

Thailand Is still geared to towards a childish mentality on so many levels. Just look at Thai TV! where are the documentaries, Diy programs...

My view is, that the more choices we have in life, then the more content we are...

Thailand does not offer much in the way of choice on the whole... food, quality products, skilled proffessionals, arts and culture, education...

So in a nutshell, my personal opinion (many will disagree) Thailand is overated, for those who are not here for sex, afforable living, buddhism etc, will probably become very fed up or bored with Thailand sooner or later.

for those that don't, well done...

why dont you tell us what you really think. I think you could have given us a little more detail.

If I meet you at the pub I dont think that I would have to talk- let you take care of that

I doubt I would be Interested in talking to someone like you to be honest.

In the unlikely event that I would be overcome with the sudden urge to enter into any kind of debate with someone like you, then the fact that you would not feel the need to talk, would just make the whole experience that less painful for me, so all good in the end....

[falangadang]

Manic depressive comes to mind after skim reading your post.

I don't know what that means. care to elaborate?

I think he is referring to Bipolar disorder (of which there are two main types of varying seriousness).

It means that the sufferer generally has a condition of swinging from euphoria or dysphoria within short time frames.

The highs are really high but the lows are the pits and one needs to be equally wary of both pendulum extremes.

It's good to take stock every now and then,... and like you I typically take time in December to do this.

Here's the thing though that I'd like to share; Don't take yourself or life too seriously and don't be too hard on yourself!

For me 2013 was nowhere near as financially successful as it should have been. As a result I am in a far less financially advantageous position this Dec 2013 than I was in Dec 2012,.. but overall it was a good year and I am very fortunate in other areas and I am in good health and not destitute by any means.

It simply means I have to adjust the trim tabs for 2014 and start to move with the way the wind is blowing rather than against it and with this I am very hopeful and optimistic for a great 2014.

Best wishes for the Christmas season and for a prosperous 2014 to you!

[bigbamboo]

The OP puts me in mind of The Old Gits and how they must have been at his age!

Edited December 25, 2013 by bigbamboo

[ozyjon]

Well i might be manic depressive, or bi (not gay) polar, north or south polar, i don't care but your statement comes around every year and i say we live here as second class citizens, we get ripped off by anyone who can, but if we are in our own countries the statements would probably be the same so therefore i am here rather than being there, and by being here my money grows over there and i pay no tax because i am here and not there.

[dotx]

I'm also in my 30s, no husband (yes, I'm a woman) and no kids. Never wanted kids, so that's not something that's going to happen in the future either. Have lived all over the world and my life's never been boring (that's not always a good thing, though).

I do believe there's a point to life, though. You just have to find it. If I thought there was no point to anything, I would just jump off a building. So yeah, it's up to you. You have to figure out what makes your heart/soul tick and then follow that. Whatever it is.

Me? When I feel there's no point to life, I go hug my dogs (they've lived with me all over the world). Or go outside and help a soi dog. I've lived here for about two years and in that time have paid to sterilize over 50 soi dogs. It's a tiny thing and maybe it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but you know what? It means something to me. And it means fewer puppies being born on the streets. I can live with that. It helps me keep going when things seem pointless.

Find something you care about. It doesn't have to be animals or people you share your daily life with. Just something.

I'm leaving Thailand within the next year for many of the reasons mentioned by other posters. I'm done with it and ready to head back to the West. However, I'm also aware that you take with you who you are. Until you find who you are and what you want out of life, you might discover you're not happy anywhere.